Arc Of A Diver

Editorial Note: I’ll be doing a preemptive review before listening and a second, post-listen review of this record. Pre-Listen Review: Oh, jeesus - a Steve Winwood record from 1980. That’s like drinking milk 12 years after the sell-by date. Post-Listen Review: Refer to Pre-Listen Review.

Average reviewer on this site: The guy from Traffic released an extremely plastic sounding yacht rock album 🙄 Me, a paragon of taste: The guy from Traffic released an extremely plastic sounding yacht rock album 😍 Four stars.

I did not enjoy this cut-rate, Peter Gabriel knockoff, Casio keyboard, yacht rock turd of an album. The opening track, "When You See A Chance" is considered Winwood's best work and, friends, I gotta be honest. That's not a compliment. It's bad. The drum sounds are cartoonishly fake and the synths are bad even for the time. I tried really hard to find something good here but, the more I listened, the more frustrated I became that THIS is what Winwood decided to do with his solo career. So much talent just... gone to waste.

1001 albums to hear before you die.. I feel like death is preferable to listening to this again

I can go for this type of 80s cheese sometimes. I have no particular nostalgia for this album but I was familiar with the lead track. Some of the choices of synth tones are a bit cringey at times. Where I start to have a real problem is on "slowdown sundown" - it sort of breaks the sound he had going for this folksier/rootsier thing and it sounds really out of place. I like "Spanish Dancer" alright but it is mixed so weirdly with those hyper prominent synth notes that it's kinda off putting. "Night Train" probably works best for me overall? By the time it got to the last track I just wanted it to be over (and it's not a long album). I like some individual tracks by him but I can't hang with it for a whole album. 2.5 down to 2.

Spotify lists Steve Winwood as a 'slick upscale mainstay of adult pop' which makes me feel like a real square because my dad would definitely make fun of me for liking this album. This is 'normcore' in the sense that this album is so normal and palatable that you have to go out of your way to feel anything about it, but this album makes me feel like a mid 80s yuppie in the best sense.

Traffic pleasantly surprised me. This... this is horrible. Tepid arrangements and ugly synth pads make this yet another embarrassing entry in this shoddy list.

straight heat 🔥 set my ears on fire from the first ten seconds 10/10

Guy is good. Cant deny it.

A fine album that finds Winwood with a new confidence thanks to his writing partnerships. The result is a strong group of songs in which Winwood plays all the instruments. Highlights include the title track, the catchy While You See a Chance, and the soaring album closer, Dust.

Terrible right out of the gate. I hope the rest of the album isn't this bad. Yep. This is rough.

What do you even call this? Easy listening? Adult contemporary? Blue-eyed soul? Yacht pop? Whatever it is, it’s delicious and I want more of it. I was pretty much sold on this album from the moment the synths come in about 30 seconds in to the opening track, and the remainder of the album did not disappoint. The vibes are immaculate. Listening to this album I imagine myself lounging wealthily in the kind spacious beachside 80s home in Miami or Southern California where the interior is all white with lots of glass blocks. The first two tracks, “When You See a Chance”, and “Arc of a Diver”, are both just so good. I love the shimmery vaguely exotic tune of “Spanish Dancer”. “Dust” is the track on the album which best showcases Steve’s vocal talent. Throughout the album, the lyrics have a particular mystique and sophistication. Musically this album takes so many small, unexpected twists and turns without ever veering from its lovely distinct sound. I’m impressed but unsurprised to learn that Steve was solely responsible for producing the album and playing *all* of the instruments. It sounds like one person’s clear vision, beautifully executed. I listened to this album twice before writing my review and it will definitely continue to get lots of rotation in the future. This is the best totally new discovery from this project for me so far. 10/10

Just great, soulful pop music, nicely done. "When You See a Chance" is the obvious classic track here, worth the price of admission just for this song. "Arc of a Diver" and "Slowdown Sundown" are lovely as well. Nothing on here I didn't like. "Second-Hand Woman" was probably the weakest song overall. Yes, the top-of-the-line-for-1980 synthesizers are admittedly a bit dated. But it's forgivable thanks in large measure to Steve Winwood himself. You can't shortcut his talent as a vocalist with a machine, that lovely soulful and timeless voice. Bonus star for the fact that Winwood plays all the instruments on this album, and adeptly so. Fave Songs: While You See a Chance, Arc of a Diver, Dust, Slowdown Sundown, Spanish Dancer

Good but not overly memorable album. I got massive Phil Collins vibes from it throughout.

Winwood going synth would have seemed very odd in 1980, but in league with his blue-eyed soul songwriting chops the whole package works very well.

nah, not for me - figure this guy only had "higher love" and then there's a whole album without it on there, worries me that the other album will be in here too

This is just the third artist on this list so far that I’ve had the pleasure of seeing live in concert. Steve Winwood opened for Tom Petty in the Saddledome back in 2008, and I’m still genuinely not sure who put on a better performance, both were phenomenal. But I’m not here to review live shows, I’m here to review this particular album, Arc Of A Diver. This is a soft yacht rock record that I really enjoyed listening to. Steve Winwoods voice is smooth, slightly soulful, and very pleasant. The songwriting is insightful and shows a clear talent. Musically it’s exceptional, my favourite aspect in that regard is the organ that’s played throughout. There are moments of funk that keep popping up all throughout this record, but there’s moments where it feels like you’re in a disco in 1977, and others where you’re sitting in a lighthouse staring out at the ocean. It’s a really cool fusion of styles and feelings. My only complaint about this record is that it doesn’t contain the song “Higher Love”. Aside from that, it’s truly excellent. 5*.

8/10. Over the past few days, I've been getting into Peter Gabriel's music, and this album felt very reminiscent of it. I enjoyed it very much. I'm feeling a 4/5, but I have a feeling inside me that I'm going to regret not giving it a 5/5 later on. Perhaps I will regret giving it a 5/5 instead of a 4/5. Whatever, 5/5 it is. It's New Years Day, and I'm exhausted.

In 1986 I fell in love with Steve Winwood’s Back in the High Life. I played the heck out of that album. After several months I then bought Arc of a Diver. I fell in love with this album too, although it always ran a close second to the later release. One of the unexpected pleasures of this project has been the opportunities to revisit albums I already know with fresh ears. I really can’t remember the last time I listened to this album, but it could have easily been 20 years ago. It’s pretty cool to hear this moment where a seasoned artist re-launched his career… a solid foundation for Winwood becoming 80s musical royalty. Back in the day Steve Winwood was just an 80s star… I had no idea that I was witnessing a really impressive reinvention. I just loved the music. Although I still prefer Back in the High Life, I’m still very enthusiastic that this terrific album made it on this list!

This has been copy-pasted to my subconscious as a rare instance of an album staying on for most of the day, eternal repeat. The opener immediately made me happy as a hit from early childhood long-forgotten but immediately pleasing; the rest feels like an idealised middle-age soundtrack, which suits me. And he did the lot! A note on the lyrics: yesterday I slagged off Chris Martin’s flimsy big vibes style, but while this shares Coldplay’s aversion to actual life detail, Winwood comes off more as a hippy friend trying to cheer you up rather than Bono.

Big fan of Winwood. Not his best album but a classic of the 80s.

Arc of Diver Big ‘Today on Pebble Mill we’ll be interviewing Birmingham’s busiest Postman!’ with While You See a Chance. Steve Winwood has a genuinely interesting career and I like a lot of his stuff, and I am very partial to a bit of easily palatable soul inflected AOR/pop, but I wasn’t entirely convinced by this one, at least on first listen. The songs themselves are fine, if a little unmemorable, but the synths are pretty intrusive, on occasion sounding unintentionally amusing, and the whole thing sounds quite strangely mixed - a lot of the keyboards and guitars as well as the synths are way too prominent in the mix and can feel quite jarring. It did grow on me on repeat listens though, I actually liked some of the songs, and the sound beneath the unbalanced mixing. While You See a Chance is a nice song, I really liked Second Hand Woman, a great bit of uptempo disco influenced pop-soul, Slowdown Sundown has nice Traffic like energy and feel, and Spanish Dancer is actually an excellent bit of slow burning bit of soulful rock-pop. It does definitely tail off after Spanish Dancer, but overall I found this pretty enjoyable if a bit patchy. If you want a nice bit of plasticy sounding adult pop there are probably some more consistent places to look, but this is a solid album. I would definitely listen again, but I not actively seek it out. Square in the 3s then. 🥽🥽🥽 Playlist submission: Spanish Dancer

Is this what people think they're hearing when they listen to Steely Dan and don't like it? They're wrong. It's not this. This is this. And it's bad. Maybe I'm allowing the try-hard that permeates every bit of it to colour my judgement, and it'd sound more winning if I got past that, but first blush is all I got.

Arc of a Diver starts off strong with "While You See a Chance," which co-incidentally makes me tear up 50% of the time I listen to it. This song is arguably Steve Winwood's best. The rest of the album stands strong, but also there's no competing with that song. Still, Winwood provides great music. Some of this album is solemn, but with his lovely voice, he's reassuring and loving. "Slowdown Sundown" starts off slow and tender, but the second half's tempo picks up with the synthesizer. It might be my favorite new find! "Night Train" has an instrumental section that, according to my notes, slaps. And I already mentioned Winwood's voice, but his voice is special and powerful in the closing track of "Dust." A masterpiece without any skips (though I listened to "Slowdown Sundown" on repeat a few times). This album is almost entirely created by Winwood. At times he had a co-lyricist, but this man provided all vocals, instruments, and arrangements while producing and mixing. I'm flabbergasted, because Winwood pulled a Prince! Arc of a Diver sounds so confident and complete in its final format that it's unbelievable it was all done by one person. I'm genuinely surprised Arc of a Diver is on this list, when Back in the High Life was a smash hit, but Arc shows Winwood's shift from his first solo album and work in Traffic, Blind Faith, and the Spencer Davis Group. His sound on Arc is pure eighties, even without the synthesizer. Winwood is extremely talented on the keyboards and pianos, so his frequent use of the synthesizer in Arc created a new image for him. His guitar work is frequently underrated, in my opinion, when he receives well-deserved acknowledgement for his piano work. His guitar work is solid and reliable, which allows his piano work to truly stand out. That being said, Winwood is still Winwood on Arc and that's worthy of its placement on the list. Moreover, I'm genuinely surprised Winwood is not enjoyed much by this group of people. Typically I don't hold much against other people when we all have different music tastes, but y'all are missing out on this man's beautiful voice and soulful music. Winwood was THE iconic pop/rock sound in the eighties, and I'm sorry if you can't see that.

Yes this album is corny, unfortunately corn is delicious especially when you but some smooth synth butter and some rock n roll salt This white boy can, in fact play that funky music. Extremely well at that.

Groovy, melodic, well-produed, diverse and just plain amazing! Steve Winwood is frighteningly underrated, and it's a crime that this is his only solo record on here. I am now going to listen to his whole discography as a protest against everyone hating on this gem (and not at all because I was looking for an excuse to listen through Steve Winwoods entire discography).

I'm a fan of Steve's work in Traffic and Blind Faith. I like this a lot too. The fact he plays every instrument on this album showcases what a major talent he is. Steve Winwood is so good that whatever he decides to play, I'm along for the ride.

excellent album

Loved this. What a surprise. Highlights were Night Train and Arc of a Diver. Hope we get more Winwood and Winwood projects.

Sometimes I really miss cocaine.

Interesting playstyle, some good riffs. I liked the atmosphere, remembered me back the time when I was travelling across the US in my 1965 Shelby mustang. Keeps rocking !

I don't usually give 5 stars to an album I heard for the first time, but today it happened, once again, that immediate connection that music gives me from time to time (I've been very lucky, because here on this site, this has happened a few times ) and it reminds me of the principles of everything: why I started listening to the albums on this site, why I listen and make music every day and why I love music so much. I feel really lucky! I already knew Steve because of Higher Love, but after this album today, I will definitely get to know his work in more depth!

A classic

A classic

Very 80’s, but an absolutely delightful listen.

I think I was in the perfect mood for this. I know a few of them anyway. My favourite Winwood song is Valerie, on his next album - so good that he is consistent. Second-Hand Woman, While You See A Chance, Night Train, and Spanish Dancer stood out. Thanks Steve.

Really groovy and exciting. 5 stars.

For better or worse, the '80s (and the '70s) had a lot of cheesy music. This genre of 'dad's playlist during a roadtrip' or 'uncle hitting the karaoke machine' might be my favorite. Steve Winwood does the grown-up soul-pop-rock hybrid really well, and even with the synths it doesn't feel gimmicky. Outdated maybe, but still a great listen. Plus, he has a great voice. I am giving everyone who worked on this record a massive side eye for creating a song like Second Hand Woman though, which just made me roll my eyes at how prehistoric it was. That aside though, I can't lie that this was banger after banger. Standout tracks are While You See a Chance and Arc of a Diver.

I just really love the energy of Steve Winwood's voice, throughout this album and all of his music

FANTASTIC

excellent

80's GOODNESS. Not a bad song on the album dude. Absolutely grooving the whole time.

loved it

Most excellent indeed

Catchy melodies With unexpected dance grooves By seasoned singer

Jazzy/poppy, nice grooves

Good, but was it really outstanding? I'm not convinced, but I'll probably give it another whirl sometime.

wow that opening synth riff is STRONG. Sets a rad 80's tone right away. Obvious he and Phil Collins worked together from that track alone, and the rest of the album only solidifies that bond. It is disappointing that it trails off into mediocrity at the end. Looking at the Side A and B divisions, I'd give side A a 5 for fun synthy pop, and side B a 2.5. The whole thing gets a 4 because of what it almost was, but I'm left feeling disappointed.

Feels like listening to an album of 80’s movie montage songs but not in a bad way

I did enjoy listening to this, although couldn't really remember much about it afterwards. He played everything on the record, apparently, just like another Stevie W. Quite good, quite short, quite Peter Gabriel in parts

“Arc of a Diver'' sounds like an album made by someone older than 32. But Steve Winwood had been in bands since he was 14 (first in the Spencer Davis Group with his brother, Muff Winwood. Yes, Muff was a nickname. But why? Previously puzzled by the big muffs of John Martyn and Mudhoney, we learned about Harmonix fuzzboxes. But Muff Winwood’s muff was smaller. It was a 1950s children’s TV show puppet horse character named Muffin the Mule. What muff did to earn being nicknamed after a puppet horse we have no idea.)... where were we? After the Spencer Davis Group, Steve Winwood was in Traffic (the band, not the frustrating gridlock of cars on busy roads) and a brief supergroup with Cream’s Eric Clapton and Ginger Baker before his solo career got going in the 1980s. So he was quite the experienced veteran releasing “Arc of a Diver” in 1980. And “While You See a Chance” is a great opener for that decade. Winwood clearly shows he can hang at the yacht club with his soft layering of synthesizers, organs, and guitars. Impressively, he played every instrument on the album. But while that was a great intro to the 80s, it was Winwood’s 1986 album that couldn’t have embodied the decade better. What more 80s song is there than “Higher Love?” And on an album that also included “Back in the High Life Again” and “The Finer Things.” The soft, easy listening of yacht rock makes up much of the background soundtrack of my childhood. As the hippies turned to yuppies, Winwood and his contemporaries led the way.

"Whoa. Hang on. It's all good. I got a Steve Winwood CD in my car. I'll go grab that." - Dennis Reynolds (IASIP)

started out pretty fun, got kinda boring later tho

- Only knowledge of Steve Winwood before this was Higher Love or Dennis from Always Sunny - Boring 80s pop - Wouldn't listen to it again

This couldn't be further from a win, and I wood like never to listen again

This feels like it should be the music for like, the tourism board of a Disney World knock off in like. Mississippi. Like it feels familiar, but it’s not the same. In fact it fucking sucks.

Relaxte muziek.

One of the greatest Steve Winwood albums ever! The synth-pop, rock, and jazz combination goes really well together. Second-Hand Woman is one of the greatest and most underrated songs ever! I truly believe everyone on this planet should listen to this album, at least once. Just absolutely incredible!

This was great.

Really dug this one. Love me some good 80's pop. 4.5 bumped up to 5.

It's incredible this is all one person. Steve Winwood does everything here, but it sounds like a tight band with chemistry. It sounds like that blue eyed soul that was everywhere, but something about this record just hits different.

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So fun, loved every song. Great for throwback or chill rock. Tiene un aire a Phil Collins.

This must be one of the best 80s pop albums ever made. Yes, it has synths and drum machines, but it does sound very classy and not cheesy in the slightest. Songs are long but very well structured and not boring at all, I would say that quality wise is in the same ballpark as Phil Collins solo outings, and the singing style is very similar. Top notch stuff. It is overlooked probably because it's too soul prog rock for synth heads, and too electronic for old rockers, but it doesn't deserves to be compared with real 80s corny drivel like Dead or Alive, George Michael, Whitney Houston, and too many others to count.

Incredible songwriting and production

Listened a couple times! Great voice, easy listening, some elements of 70's singer-songwriter with synths, funk, and much more.

Great, but his previous album is even better.

Honestly I'm rating this high for the fact that the guy did it all. Like, everything. All vocals, all instruments. This was a one man operation. I'm sure there were engineers and technicians involved, but this is a Steve Winwood joint. That's it. The songwriting is strong, if not a little dated. But I think it and a lot of Winwood solo stuff holds up to classic pop/rock standards. I can see a track or two (not much more) landing on a playlist or two.

I really enjoyed this album, even the album cover which is calming and abstract. He has the classic 80s soft rock sound, singing quite high but hitting lots of higher pitches that worked well with the album. Some good instrumental work in there too to create a tranquil tone. Reminded me abit of van morrison.

Classic

Damn...a perfect album.

Looking at the reviews, some people dislike this album because it sounds dated. That's funny, because for me this album is more appealing because of the retro sound. The synths on "While You See A Chance" aren't something we hear much of these days, and we are worse off for it. The album is a really fun listen overall. Favorite track: "Night Train"

Sweet sweet synth action right out of the gate, and continued nicely throughout the album. Didn't realize he was one of the singers in Traffic but makes sense after listening to it closer. Pretty funky bassline going throughout the whole album. This was a really unique one that was super enjoyable. Had this on a 4/5 line until the ultimate funklord of a song Night Train song pushed it over. Lower 5 but still an absolute baller of an album. If you told me this was Genesis I would have 100% believed you.

One of the top 1,000. Used to be top 100 then top 500 but I keep getting older and hearing more great stuff. This one’s been on the list since the beginning

Pretty rockin'! Have listened to the Clapton Winwood live album many times and enjoyed this!

Awesome album

i like this music its easy to listen to

I remember when and where I bought this! I’ve been a fan of Winwood a long time.

Really enjoyed this. Like a space version of yacht rock.

This album is just oozing 80's cheese and I am not going to lie I kind of love it. It's extremely synthy and would not feel out of place in the background of a montage. I kinda had a feeling I was going to be hooked in the first 10 seconds or so and I was right.

Incredible album of all the best songs, my reaction: https://images.app.goo.gl/bXxv3s3uRng8CrSY9 [surfer man tahiti paris 2024 olympics]

Love this album have not listened to it in years

I really liked this one! In the vein of Peter Gabriel, Phil Collins, etc. Made some good endorphins. :)

Such a fun album. Second-Hand Woman is amazing. While You See a Chance is fantastic. Slowdown Sundown is a song I could picture my parents listening to in the living room when I was young young. Last few songs on the first disc kind of fall off but I will be coming back to Steve Winwood often. He has the added bonus of really reminding me of my parents' music. A nostalgia that will continue to tug at my heart.

Wonderful!

A great chill album!

Classic

Great album, great mixing, good to leave it on and listen for any occasions.

Great album and very nostalgic for me. Have recently got on vinyl. Great Tunes : arc of a diver, spanish dancer and while you see a chance which presaged Valerie on his next album

Love this album - both when it came out and to relisten today

Really hooks you in from the first song and doesn't let up. Such a great album and will have on repeat for a while.

banger!! i like the synths. favorite songs: secondhand woman, night train

Amazing

Great! I really enjoyed this album.

Really appreciated this y'day. Great music. A slightly generous 5

This is a decent album. A lot of nice songs. Great voice. Night train has a funky bassline. I'm give a 4

Funky and interesting.

Very surprised to see low reviews for this album. I wasn't too excited going in, but it surprised me. Great singing and a really good showcase of talent across the board. This album is very easy to listen to.

Actually, I loved this. It's the kind of earnest and perfectly executed pop you just can't get away with making any more. An absolute precision strike of production.

Surprise album - I did not expect to like this album as much as I did, it has a pleasant classical sound but also a modern upbeat swing behind it. I researched a bit about this album after the fact to find out that Steve Winwood played all of the instrumental sections by himself throughout this entire project, which is a practice I respect deeply and full heartedly Best song - While You See a Chance