Traffic Sound: Yellow Sea Years 68-71 (2005)

Hard to believe Peru actually had a rock scene! When one thinks of Peruvian music, they think obviously of traditional Incan music, played on panpipes, charango, quena, etc. But in the late ’60s and early ’70s, there was a band from Lima called Traffic Sound, and they hardly played traditional Andean music by any stretch of the imagination. They were instead a fantastic rock band! Their music was heavily influenced by American and British rock acts, and when Santana started becoming popular, they started adding Santana-like Latin rock elements as well. They managed four albums in their lifetime, A Bailar Go Go (1968), Virgin (1969), Traffic Sound (1970), and Lux (1971) before disappearing. Their first album mainly concentrated on covers of other people’s songs (like Eric Burdon & the Animals’ “Sky Pilot”, for example), but starting with their second album, they quickly dropped the covers and went for all-originals! One thing must be noted was Peru has had a history of dictatorships, the country was under a dictatorship when Traffic Sound existed and recorded their albums, meaning it probably was nowhere as easy to play, record, and release this stuff in Peru at that time as it would be in the United States or most of Europe west of the Iron Curtain. But somehow they managed, they even got to tour outside of Peru, like Brazil, Argentina and Chile. In 2005 comes this wonderful compilation called Yellow Sea Years, which mainly focuses on their last two albums, although they do include a cut each from their first two. As you go through this CD, you’ll notice their influences, from Santana to Jethro Tull, and everything in between. Vocals are in English and Spanish. Some of the vocals remind me of Doug Ingle of Iron Butterfly, while other times, there’s a more raspy voice. Aside from vocals, you have flute, sax, guitars, drums, and Santana-like percussion (especially the congas).

“Lux” has a more hard rock feel to it, while “La Camita” has that obvious Santana influence. “You Got To Be Sure” has that Jethro Tull-like sound, especially Jean-Pierre Magnet who gives his share of Tull-like flute, he also plays sax as well. “White Deal/Poco/Big Deal” has a nice, acoustic folk-like feel, plus the Latin influences show up with the congas, and a very short salsa passage. They were singing about drug dealers in Colorado (I liked the way they pronounced “Colorado”, but Colorado is a Spanish word, meaning the band pronounced it properly). “Suavecito” has a more pop-feel, reminds me of something you might have heard on the AM dial in the early ’70s. “Those Days Have Gone” sounds a bit like Iron Butterfly (but without the Vox organ), simply because of the vocals that sound unmistakably like Doug Ingle, but unlike Iron Butterfly, there’s some flute, and a bit of a Moody Blues-like feel (but no Mellotron, as the only Latin American country I know that had any was Brazil). “Marabunta” is the lengthiest song on this album, by far the most progressive thing on this compilation, a rather adventurous number with rather creative passages, and nice organ work. There’s a cover of Eric Burdon & the Animals’ “Sky Pilot”, which I really don’t think could be improved on, but at least they did a good job at it. The band purposely imitated Eric Burdon’s voice. “Yesterday’s Game” is a wonderful number showing the psychedelic elements. “Meshkalina” is truly one of my favorites off this compilation, I am completely blown away! I really love the combination of Afro-Latin styles with psychedelia and percussion. “Tibet’s Suzettes (You Can’t Appreciate a Gift From God)” shows a rather wonderful bluesy hard rock style, with Doug Ingle-like vocals, with some nice sax passages that remind me a little of a not-so-dark Van der Graaf Generator.

This compilation is truly amazing with no bad songs to be found! I have heard of Traffic Sound before, and since I ran across this compilation first, I picked it up and was completely blown away! This Peruvian band is truly as great as the best stuff coming out of the U.S. and Great Britain. If this compilation is this great, then I look forward to their original albums! A really mindblowing collection of simply great songs!