Freddy and Manuel had met in school and played in Los Hang Ten's. Freddy and his older brother Jose originally thought of founding "Traffic Sound".
The name was chosen because of their penchant for a traffic light, placed as a souvenir in the attic of the Rizo-Patróns house, where they held their practices, after a wild night in Lima.
After a year of continued rehearsals and private shows they tried their luck at Peruvian psychedelic emporium The Tiffany with great success and recorded his first album "A Bailar Go Go" in 1968 with label MAG. It contained versions of songs by The Doors, Cream, Jimi Hendrix, Iron Butterfly and The Animals. In later albums they included their own music with a fusion of Andean and Afro-Latin sounds. They held gigs in Peru, Chile, Argentina and Brazil.
Their second album "Virgin" (1969), all original material, catapulted them to legendary status especially because it contains the absolute icon of Peruvian Psychedelia, "Meshkalina".
In 1970 they recorded another LP named "Traffic Sound", aka. III, aka. "Tibet's Suzettes", where they blend the Psychedelic spirit with an Andean folk sound, and give the necessary step to be closer than ever to progressive rock.
In 1971 Braniff International Airways organized the first South American Tour of a Peruvian band, and Traffic Sound was well received in demanding markets such as Argentina and Brazil.
After the tour they switched to bigger label Sono Radio and released four singles. At this point Willy Thorne left the band and was replaced by Zulu or (Miguel Angel Ruiz Orbegoso) on bass, with whom they recorded their last LP, "Lux". Incredibly, during a massive strike of Sono Radio workers the master tapes disappeared and were only found in 1996. This album is different to the previous, the Andean influence is more evident and some political concerns were expressed.
The band held a memorable concert at the Teatro Segura in Lima together with the Contemporary Orchestra of Peruvian jazz pianist Jaime Delgado Aparicio in 1971 and disbanded in 1972.
A popular Peruvian rock group in the late 1960s and early 1970s, Traffic Sound had a very British-influenced early progressive rock sound along the lines of Traffic and (more distantly) Jethro Tull. These similarities were evident in the band's use of flute and saxes, all played by Jean Pierre Magnet, who could also play vibes and percussion. What is surprising is that Traffic Sound, unlike other South American groups of the period that only came to light in the Northern Hemisphere in the 1990s, do not sound exotic or primitive. They simply sound like an accomplished minor-league 1970 rock band with considerable progressive, psychedelic, and soul influences informing their original material. There's a Latin feel to some of the rhythmic percussive grooves, sure, but no more, really, than you would find in a cut like Traffic's "Feelin' Alright." They disbanded in 1972 after four albums; some of their material found US release in 1997.
What You Need And What You Want
Traffic Sound Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But what you need & what you want
is not in her balloons!
What you need & what you want
Feelin' fine & mystified to live with ten guns
But what you need & what you want
you pay for them to choose!
Feelin' fine & fortified by all you found in you
What you need & what you want
is to be found in you
What you need & what you want
These lyrics from Traffic Sound's song "What You Need and What You Want" appear to be a commentary on the dangers of materialism and the importance of self-discovery. The opening line suggests that the singer is enjoying themselves with someone who is fun and frivolous, represented by the image of "ballin' Betty Boop". However, the next line reveals that despite the temporary pleasure, this person is not fulfilling the singer's deeper needs or desires. The repeated refrain of "what you need & what you want" drives this point home, emphasizing that there is a distinction between immediate gratification and long-term satisfaction.
The following two verses further explore this theme. The second verse describes someone who is surrounded by weapons, but again, these objects do not provide what they truly need or want - perhaps safety, freedom, or inner peace. The third verse shifts the focus inward, suggesting that the key to finding what we need and want is within ourselves. The singer is fortified by what they have discovered within, rather than relying on external objects or people. Overall, these lyrics encourage listeners to reflect on their priorities and sources of fulfillment, warning against the pitfalls of materialism and emphasizing the value of self-knowledge.
Line by Line Meaning
Feelin' fine & fortified while ballin' Betty Boop
Feeling good and confident while showing off, like how Betty Boop does in cartoons.
But what you need & what you want is not in her balloons!
However, the things that you truly need and want in life cannot be found through superficial things like Betty Boop's balloons.
What you need & what you want
The focus of the song is on figuring out what one truly needs and wants in life, and not just settling for what appears to be fulfilling.
Feelin' fine & mystified to live with ten guns
Feeling powerful and intrigued by having possessions like ten guns.
But what you need & what you want you pay for them to choose!
However, when you base what you need and want on what others tell you to want or what society dictates you need, you are essentially paying those external forces to dictate your desires.
Feelin' fine & fortified by all you found in you
Feeling stronger and more secure through self-discovery and self-belief.
What you need & what you want is to be found in you
Ultimately, the things that you need and want in life can only be found by looking within yourself and discovering what truly fulfills you.
Contributed by Bella I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Ricky Obando
on Solos
llevala, llevala jajajaja