Reviews (page 2 of 8)
Wow, lots of unexpected nostalgia from this. Steve Winwood did Valerie which is a classic to me, and one of the first vinyls I’ve owned was Traffic as per a recommendation from my dad, Steve, where Winwood happens to be the main focal point and reason for their success. It’s a great album, I really like Winwood’s soulful poppy voice and lyrics with the organ and rock tones, but I don’t think I could reasonably give this a 4. Strong 4.5, might come back and re-evaluate if it deserves a 5
I think I liked this more than most people here. However, Winwood’s best tracks aren’t on this. There’s no Higher Love or Valarie (Call on me!). In the very few moments when I have a jonesin for Steve Winwood, I’ll probably just go to the individual hits.
Meh, some mediocre 80's music.
This was so dull, a poor man’s Phil Collins and I don’t even like Phil Collins. One star for slowdown sundown which I found myself somewhat enjoying against all my better instincts.
Is Steve Winwood the keyboard player? Because if he isn’t, somebody urgently needs to explain the horrible keyboard noises currently emanating from my speakers — and why whoever is responsible wasn’t fired. Arc of a Diver sounds like it should be playing over the perpetual closing credits of the worst babe-movie you ever had to sit through. There may be songs in here somewhere, but they’ve been laminated. Please make it stop.
It was fine, I didn't personally connect with the album.
nice
3/10
Ascoltabile, sicuramente dal vivo rende di più ma l'album non mi fa impazzire. Come sottofondo va bene
I'm not that big on soft 80s pop rock, and this wasn't an exception. I did like the synth tone in While You See A Chance. It felt video-game-arcady
有一点像那种，公益歌曲（
5/10
Cheese, pure cheese.
I have a playlist called Seventies not-rock for songs like Billy Joel etc which are more mainstream/ yachty than my normal taste but which are undeniably great. Not a single track from this album will make the list, I'm afraid. I thought it was boring and, tbh, pretty poor. I don't even like his voice. For now, Higher Love remains the only Steve song that I actually don't mind.
Awesome stuff. Some very cool exploration of electronic sounds and textures. The songwriting seems a perfect match to that. Something quite prog about it all despite the fact that it sounds quite accessible in it's song structures mostly.
I've been a fan of Steve Winwood throughout his career; starting with The Spencer Davis Group, Traffic, Blind Faith, and his many solo projects. This is one of the many albums that are listed in this 1001 list that I own.
A whole lot of nothing... Pretty much just background music for forgotten 80s network television.
Playing all of the instruments on the album, This is my Bon Iver.
Ну хуй его знает
Not really sure what this was. It was like some weird cover artist doing bad Michael Bolton type songs. Really didn't enjoy this one, but at least the guy can sing and play his own instruments I guess.
Oof, did not enjoy this one. Kinda feels like a weak version of Huey Louis and the News. Also reminds me of Steely Dan, in that the production is so soulless and pristine. While You See a Chance is a fine single, but beyond that this is just boring 80's rock. No song called Spanish Dancer should lack Spanish sounding music. Absolute malpractice.
Cheese ball yacht rock but I like his voice enough and Night Train is undeniably groovy
Rätt mys!
This Steve Winwood record is definitely something that exists. I even listened to it twice, just to make sure.
J'ai toujours eu de la misère avec cet album.
Proto-80s! Ça me fait beaucoup penser à Duke de Genesis, paru la même année d'ailleurs. Il y avait quelque chose de groovy dans l'air aux UK en 1980. Il a bu la potion magique de Phil Collins et Peter Gabriel. Impressionnant qu'il ait tout joué les tracks lui-même, un vrai p'tit Stevie Wonder. Pas un chef d'oeuvre, mais plutôt agréable!
Correct! Assez générique dans le style un peu prog/70s
A really fun album. Every has an groovy instrumental and winwood’s vocals usually work nicely with the track. The synths are fun and give the album a distinct, very 80’s vibe. Not every song is the most memorable and the lyrics are not complex, but these songs are all pleasant and groovy
dont miss out on this one there's some nice tracks in here. low four
Even for easy listening standards, this isn’t very good. Clunky lyrics and weird synth (not weird in a good way). Sorry Steve, at least your voice gets you to 2 stars.
Hella corny, but some of the tracks towards the end started to be a bit of a jam. Except Dust is pure cheese.
Soft proto-synth pop album that is largely fine if a tad corny. This kind of music has never particularly captured my attention, but the album was overall fine to listen to. One big hit with a couple decent songs, and not much else to note. Top tracks: While You See a Chance, Arctic of a Diver, Night Train
The shine starts to fade as this goes on, but I can't deny how fun this album was.
here's an album by songwriter steve winwood. while not his first album, this album IS the first time he's doing stuff a little more isolated, setting up and lurking in his very own studio and dabbling with the wonderful new inventions that are modern multitrack recorders, steve did all the composing, playing and audio production himself. it did pretty well when it first released in record stores. i was a little gagged when i saw "sophisti-pop" as a genre label; for those of you who aren't as familiar with the genre, i like to call it "80s hair salon music". very airy, jazzy, easy-on-the-ears pop stylings for public and private radio play. i was a little surprised by this album, i didn't expect it to be so memorable but it definitely was. a lot of songs are fun. and i'm a sucker for early contemporary usage of synths and drum machines... like with plenty of stuff in this genre, some of the sounds are a little corny and tinny. not every track is perfect, but this is a pretty remarkable little gem. that weird little transitional period whenever a new decade begins, that's where this album sits on the music spectrum.
First listen. This album is alright. I love the chord progressions throughout the album. I do find some of the lead synth sounds to be a bit blah. The songs are great but I’m not a fan of some of the popular synth sounds of this era. Highlight- While You See a Chance, Lowlight- synth sounds.
I started getting into Traffic earlier this year and have fallen in love with so much of Steve Winwood’s work with the band. That said, my hopes were high for this album and unfortunately the solo Steve experience is completely disposable. I’ve gained and lost nothing from listening to this.
Gear: DCA ÆON 2 Noire Artwork: 🏊🌈 Production: 🎚️🔪🧼 Music: 🛥️🎸🫧 Rating: 🛟🛟/5
lurved it lyrics 10/10
This is good-80's. Some melodic pop-rock. Great arrangements, interesting synth choices, a very theatrical atmosphere, and some memorable and fantastic songs. Sure, it is not perfect, and some songs lack of a bigger hook, or of being more innovative, but this collection of songs is really worth listening to, so enjoyable and lovely. Very 80's classic, but still a very good album. Sometimes mainstream works, and in that case, it is delicious.
I was pretty optimistic (not sure why) about this starting by the first song. As the album went on the songs started to blend into each other. There isn't a whole lot of variety and gets monotonous. Doesn't mean it's a completely 'bad' album, I even think overall it has a nice tone to it. The 80s are not just expressed well from the production, but the vocals seem to be a mix of Phil Collins and Mark Hollis (Talk Talk) screams 80s even louder! I think it was fine, but definitely not an album I'd return to. Highlight Song/s: "While You See a Chance"
Stevie in the 80s
What a pile of 80s turd.
1. 4.5 2. 4 3. 3.5 4. 3 1. 3.5 2. 3.5 3. 3
Percectly enjoyable 80s background noises
I was surprised by how many of these songs I knew, but quickly realized how instantly forgettable every song actually is.
Half interesting sophisti-pop/new wave, half super bland yuppie music (minus the bulletproof hooks of something like “Valerie” or “Higher Love”)
Interesting and impressive that Steve Winwood did everything (singing, playing all the instruments, and producing) himself, but I don't like the musical style (soft rock) or the instrumentation (much too much synthesizer) throughout. Good on him, though, he did it his way.
Ok, didnt move me too much
My dad loves Steve Winwood, Traffic, Blind Faith, solo work. I Like While You See A Chance, even with the super dated 80s synthesizer. I like his voice. Second-Hand Woman just lost me. I don't know how I feel about this album...every time I think I'm liking it, he he hits me with an overdose of synthesizer. Night Train is the soundtrack to an 80s action comedy. The album starts out with the best track and feels like it trends pretty steadily downwards after that. I bet Marc Cohn loves this album...and Elizabeth Vargas.
This list could be 5005 albums long and this STILL wouldn't make the cut
Cringey synths but got a good groove. 3/5
Ein entspanntes Pop Album. Für mich ohne echte Highlights. Lässt sich gut hören, aber bleibt nicht in Erinnerung. 3/5
Generic late 80s early 90s feel, its fine
A soft-rock album of its era -- it's not impressive but pleasant enough
Inoffensive road trip music from the 80s
Didn't realized how soulless, boring and bland this album is until I sat down and actively listen to it. Guy sounds like a bootleg combination of Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins, or basically any guy from this style and that time. The music is incredibly tame and dated as well, being basically melodramatic and slow pop rock with not so great sounding synths. Another crime of this album is how long the songs are. Why the need to make them last for 5 to 8 minutes long when there isn't anything interesting happening???? Only positive thing I can think of is some maybe decent bass lines here and there, but that's it. So yes, quite the terrible experience.
음악이 전체적으로 분위기가 좋았다.
It's a shame this is absolutely dripping in 80s production cliches. It's got a lot of nice hooks and strong guitar work, alongside fun key shifts and structures that remind me of Peter Gabriel (in a good way), all peppered with fun, funky basslines. I didn't recognise the name until I dug a little deeper, and I broadly prefer Steve Winwood's work in Traffic, but it's a nice little album that shows a bit of adventure in its departure from 70s rock into a more synthy 80s vibe. Not my favourite vibe, but it's done well and I enjoyed it to a point.
Very early 80’s vibe
One decently good song and the rest was meh. All the songs were way too long and dragged a bit for me. I was just waiting for each track to get over to the next one.
I'm not happy that you're just quoting me and writing shite for your reviews. You better not be writing that, I bet you can't remember what I said anyway Three
I enjoyed this more than I even thought I would and not merely as some vessel for irony. The writing and composition were interesting and varies and by the time it was done I was kind of hoping for more.
A really good sound palette. The vocals are VERY 80s!
Film score for a wholesome American movie like Toy Story. Or Big. Or any other early Tom Hanks movie. Well written, produced, etc but not setting the world on fire
One of my favorite discoveries using the generator. I love Steve Winwood, he’s cool AF, his music is fun and interesting. Hurrah
rating purely on vibes and enjoyment
Steve Winwood albums are always a pleasant listen
Nice
A beautiful firm, and reminds me of the Summer Olympics.
1001 i shouldn't listen to?
Great playing, but doesn't really seem to have any lasting influence on any music today, maybe not even during its time. It was fun to learn that he was one of the five guitarists playing "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" at that one show where Prince stole the spotlight. Guess that counts for something.
I loved at first, then I lost some interest... But i think I will enjoy it more eventually
mediocre and forgetful
Steve Winwood and Phil Collins sound like they could be cut from the exact same cloth. Very smooth 80s pop rock with that distinctive vocal style... it's a shoe-in, I fear. A nice solid 7/10 for this, which is somehow the first Steve Winwood solo album I've heard even though I'm a big Traffic fan.
Certified boomer music, but there were some really good instrumentals throughout
If you told me this was Phil Collins, I'd believe you. Steve has his own funky sauce though! Love the bass and synth tones he uses throughout the album. Standouts: Arc of a Diver • Second-Hand Woman • Night Train
I was completely invested and ready to give this a 4 at the beginning, but I feel it lost something as it progressed. Much like with yesterday's album, I was expecting the sound to evolve or show me something new as it felt like it was building up. I actually think the album LOST energy as it continued. Still appreciated it, though.
I remember when this album came out. It seemed like a sort of unexpected step toward something bigger for Winwood. Though that never really panned out, there are still some tunes here that reward a listen.
This is too 80s to be taken seriously. It's hard to get past the farty-synth sounds. Not for me.
Sorry Steve, not a big fan of this one. Can't really pinpoint any reasons why but I just didn't enjoy it. A little boring perhaps? Favourites: Arc of a Diver
Steve Winwood has a good, interesting voice. It reminds me a little of Peter Gabriel or Phil Collins. The song “While You See Chance” was a hit back in my day and was played over and over again. It was nice to hear it again. But overall, I didn’t think this synth-pop was good enough to listen to more often. 3/5
Oof.
I love it. 80's synth soul. Great stuff
I know of this artist, haven't listened to much though. Wasn't quite aware he is little yacht rock-ish. Good stuff. I do know a track off this one.
It was a classic 80's sounding album. Will have to give it another listen, but there really was not anything that immediately caught my ear.
Meh
Pleasant pop rock with a dash of funk.
Some really enjoyable production in here. I guess it lacked originality or some real bangers to make it a good album.
this was a fun one, surprised by what i liked
Nothing special
It’s alright.
It sounds nice. It reminds me a bit of Genesis and Phil Collins. But I can't hear anything special in this particular album. I feel like it's lacking something.
A decent pop rock album. I like his use of the moog. Extra points for recording everything himself. Impressive!
Amazing album
I loved the song when it came out, but didn’t have money to buy the album. Wish now that I had. Good stuff.
En fattigmans Springsteen. Americana utan nerv. En tvåa
I do like when things sound like sonic but that first song was the longest 5 minutes of my life. Way too many moments on this album where I snap back to reality and realize it's still the same song. These are some tasty jams though.
The frothiest of soft rock.
Not bad but I wish I was listening to Peter Gabriel instead. Based on Genesis's requirements to be the lead singer he would have been a shoe in
Pretty much the sound of the 80's to start the decade. Winwood was the man and recorded everything on the album himself.
Immediately recognized the intro track, not sure who I thought it was originally. Pretty good! I thought it was peter gabriel.
Pretty enjoyable, I like how it mixed the upcoming pop sounds with rock music. Very cool, especially for 1980.
Man can this guy sing! And he plays every instrument!!
I don't know If I would have picked this one among his albums but it's a good one, extensive synth use. An album I've liked even before starting this list
Enjoyed it at first but the songs didn't stand out to me. 2.5.
MOR. Not sure why its on the list?
The night train pulled up to the rain blasted platform, slowing, sun down, the sodium lights dimmed by the incessant downpour, casting the concrete into spots of black and white. The train door opens and a man steps out, tall, lean, a long tan trenchcoat wrapped around him, a brimmed hat tipped slightly forward. His feet make small splashes as he briskly strides out of the station to hail a cab. Oh Valerie, why aren't you here? But why, why are his thoughts stuck on her, now of all times? Just a second hand woman, dust in her hair. But there is no Valerie, just a spanish dancer spending too long on the stage, the same moves going nowhere. Going nowhere. Much like most the songs here - starting with something, but overlong and going nowhere.
this suck ass
#985. Putting a Steve Winwood album on here, but not the one with Higher Love on it is... an choice. Not the choice I would have made, mind you, but an choice. 2/5: meh
In my opinion the author got this one wrong. Back in the High Life is the superior Winwood album. By alot. So if you’re only going to give him one, this is not it. This one is okay- 3 stars. High Life a high four. Sorry Stevie!
Graat voice. Dull tunes
80s soft rock with a voice of gold.
Soft rock, blue-eyed soul, pop.
Feels extremely "safe".
Really love this, kind of one note but it works 🏎️. Steve sounds like Peter Gabriel and it rules
This is very much Steely Dan-lite in all its long ambiance. All buildup, no climax like EDM trance without a proper drop/mood change. I was taking a bit of a nap and I didn't really hear much of a transition between any of the songs (2.5-3).
Definitely not one for me. Too middle-of-the-road, too yacht rock, too bland, too beige. My mate Hoppy and I would argue the merits of this kind of music over several beers in the wee hours of the morning. He loved it, I hated it and 30 years later I’m still in the same camp
Arc of A Diver (not to be confused with Holy Diver) was a great way for the parents of 80’s kids to teach us about Traffic. Is it a good album? No idea. It’s familiar and safe so it seems ok in a light rock way.
From start to finish just trash.
Is it not interesting how relativity is the only way I am able to subjectify material? How I can find enjoyment in anomalous places due to boring ass albums that I listened to before this? Honestly fuck it 5/5. edit: i looked at the global reviews and im now going to be a sheep and give this album a 4/5
More forgettable Peter Gabriel. I remember when max used to listen to these
This is a decent album. A lot of nice songs. Great voice. Night train has a funky bassline. I'm give a 4
Not memorable but still fine
Felt sterile but pretty enjoyable. Probably won't put it back again anytime soon because its just not the kind of music that I regularly enjoy.
not that great
I thought I was going to love this album, but I'm not sure why, I think his name was steeped in nostalgia. I listened to the album twice (accidentally) its such a cheesy, average bunch of songs delivered in a cheesy way. He has an awesome voice, but a bit like Lou Gramm from Foreigner, probably too perfect, sounds like an auto-tuned instrument, which doesn't help the 80s super saturation. Disappointing Meh. Unfortunately, I also listened (twice) to the radio track interviews track (56 mins) on the deluxe edition. What an absolute wankfest.
How to make 40mins sound like 4 hours - not in a good way.
Funky and interesting.
Light rock, a bit like Peter Gabriel, but almost bordering on smooth jazz. Easy listening, but doesn't especially grab me. Impressive that he played all the instruments on the album.
I feel like finding good yacht rock is tricky. The songs need to be both good songs and breezy and cheesy in just the right way. You fail at either and they become tedious. A few songs here land in the sweet spot, but a lot also miss the mark.
Forgettable dad rock.
If you are a millionaire with a fondness for going on tropical hunting trips on his yacht, this is one should be right up your alley. If not, you'll probably view this album the same way you view the millionaire's yacht: well-produced and slick, but incredibly sterile and a bit ridiculous. But I think we can allow ourselves the fantasy of standing on that yacht ourselves a few days a year. And for those days, Winwood's got us covered.
It's been a while since I listened to such a neutered and diluted music... abysmal dogshit. Compositions are boring, the vocals are anything but catchy, and the instrumentals are absolutely typical for that era.
AOR it is however some of this is quite nice although some of the synth sounds have dated badly.
61/100. Every era presents its own vocabulary. The challenge is not learning new words, but learning how to speak them without losing your voice. Steve Winwood was in a difficult position when Arc of a Diver arrived. Many rock artists were struggling to find their place in the early 80s, but rather than blindly chasing trends, Winwood incorporated new technology and contemporary production techniques into the soulful rock foundation he had already established. The strongest impression I got was that this feels like a soundtrack. I do not necessarily mean that as criticism. The music has a cinematic quality to it, as if it is designed to accompany scenes, landscapes, or emotions rather than stand front and center on its own. It is easy to imagine these songs playing over the opening credits of a drama.
2.5
Up and down but inoffensive
Très très très 80s yacht rock codé (ma came)
You know in Die Hard there’s that character Harry Ellis, a sleazy coked up businessman who tries (and fails) to sell everyone out to Hans Gruber? If they developed Ellis’s character more, it certainly would have turned out that this was one of his favorite albums. This is music for the worst person you know. It’s total ass. Sometimes I get the feeling this list is a psychological experiment to explore the sunk cost fallacy. Like yeah there are some good things on here for sure but there’s also so much stuff that completely sucks, has no lasting influence or impact, but I keep on plugging away at it day after day instead of listening to something I will actually enjoy because I’m a couple of hundred albums deep.
I knew the first track, which is, in a way, ok. The rest is forgettable and very dated.
Comically bad.
It was fine. Nothing more, nothing less.
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.
Erm, formulaic without being unpleasant.
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.
A vibe
Man... you could've added Back in the High Life. That one at least has a hit, unlike this.
Bon Et solide
Banger intro, couldn't really get into the rest unfortunately.
Enjoyed this one more than I expected to after the opening bars, though it’s not a sound that’s aged all that well.
Q: Why did you listen to hard rock and rap in the 80's? A: I present you Exhibit A. I guess this light rock shite was a progression from the prog rock shite of the 70's. As an ex young person of the 1980s, this sucked then too.
Review - glad to have discovered Steve Winwood's work through this list. Score - 7/10 Need to listen? YES
Solid, good, not great, I like Steve's voice, the songs are okay. 3.333 if we had decimals. Without it, it's a 3
Middle of the road yacht rock. Not bad, but not something I would seek out
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
Feels like listening to an album of 80’s movie montage songs but not in a bad way
very 80's synth. Really not my thing
This record had very few redeeming qualities, and I had made up my mind about the score I would give it after 2 songs.
i was 8 when this came out and probably not quite ready for what winwood is doing here. "while you see a chance" was everywhere and remained a classic rock staple. it's a damn good song, and the extended album version is even better than the single. the whole album is really quite great
dude
1) Phil Collins and Peter Gabriel for the poor. 2) Yacht rock, but your yacht is a yacht in GTA Vice City
RATING: 4/10 HIGHLIGHT: Spanish Dancer LOWLIGHT: Dust
It’s fine - but I would prefer all the songs to have that guitar from the track Night Train
Favorite Track: Night Train
In my 2018 edition of this book, the entry for this album talks almost exclusively about Steve Winwood's place in the industry at this time and his collaborations with other artists. I think there is a place to talk about artists that are important in the greater conversation, but this specific album is not doing anything innovative or new. It sounds like exactly what it is: a pop-rock album released in 1980. That all said, Steve Winwood has always done a good job of making accessible music that isn't boring. It's not a bad album, I'm just questioning what it's doing here.
Hey, this is a cool album! Very Phil Collins (good!) Favourite track: Arc of a Diver
I thought this album had a ton of heart. It was solid musically, no particular bangers stood out to me, though. Very yacht rock.
Ohhhhh fuck I have to fart
Nice and easy on the head lp, but the day after i can't even remember the songs
"Oh look, there's some paint drying that needs watching" - my excuse to leave if this gets played near me again.
SW is extremely talented
Hueva
Que dire de plus qui n’ait déjà été résumé par cette note couperet ? Un sur cinq et encore, c’est cher payé... C’est cher payé pour ce qui s’apparente à un véritable naufrage auditif, un encéphalogramme plat musical qui s'écoute avec la même excitation nerveuse que celle procurée par le bruit monotone des essuie-glaces sous une averse de novembre. Je me suis imposé cette écoute, et je le regrette déjà amèrement tant le vide artistique y est vertigineux. Car on parle ici d'un disque qui aspire toute énergie vitale pour la remplacer par un ennui tiède. Pourtant, sur le papier, l’artisan derrière la console n’est pas le premier manchot venu, on connaît le CV. Mais en cette année 1980, l'inspiration semble être restée définitivement au vestiaire, promptement remplacée par un cahier des charges d'une pauvreté affligeante et d'un opportunisme commercial flagrant. Ici, l’artiste fait tout tout seul : claviers, guitares, voix, batterie, basse et c'est précisément là que le piège se referme. Car si l'autarcie a parfois du bon, ici elle accouche d'un monstre de complaisance. Tout est à jeter sans sommation : les arrangements au synthétiseur d’un goût plus que douteux, la production lissée jusqu’à l'écœurement, et cette voix qui traîne une léthargie contagieuse au fil de morceaux désespérément prévisibles et plats. On se demande franchement ce qui a bien pu passer par la tête des sélectionneurs pour aller dénicher ce truc et le coller dans une liste d'œuvres censées marquer l'histoire de l'humanité. C’est à se taper la tête contre les murs. Chaque piste commence et se termine dans la même indifférence, sans que l'auditeur ne puisse jamais sortir de sa torpeur, si ce n'est pour vérifier combien de minutes de calvaire il reste avant la délivrance finale. La paresse d'écriture est ici élevée au rang d'art majeur, les mélodies tournent en boucle sur trois accords fatigués que même un débutant bouderait par fierté. C'est l'illustration parfaite du déclin d'une certaine idée de la musique des années 70, digérée et recrachée par l'industrie naissante des années 80 dans ce qu'elle a de plus clinquant, superficiel et inutile. Rien à sauver, donc. Pas même le fameux single qui a fait le succès de l'album à sa sortie et qui sonne aujourd'hui comme une immense plaisanterie datée, un hymne à la mollesse qui donne envie de briser sa platine en deux. C'est de la bouillie pour les chats, du sucre glace sur de la merde, un produit marketing déguisé en œuvre d'art intime. Je ressors de cette expérience vidé, irrité, avec la désagréable impression d'avoir perdu quarante minutes de ma vie que personne ne pourra jamais me rendre. Si le projet des 1001 Albums réserve parfois de magnifiques surprises et des redécouvertes indispensables, il impose aussi de traverser des déserts de platitude absolue dont cet opus est, sans conteste, le monument le plus terrifiant. C'est chiant comme la pluie, disais-je ? Je présente mes plus plates excuses à la pluie. La pluie, elle au moins, possède une rythmique changeante, une odeur de terre mouillée, une mélancolie brute et une poésie naturelle qui balaient ce disque en moins de deux secondes. Ici, il n'y a que le bruit du pognon facile et de l'autosatisfaction d'un musicien qui s'écoute jouer tout seul dans son studio hors de prix, persuadé de pondre un chef-d'œuvre alors qu'il ne fabrique que du vide acoustique. Pour conclure ce calvaire, disons simplement que cet album mérite amplement sa note minimale. Il devrait être étudié dans les écoles de musique comme le contre-exemple parfait de tout ce qu'il ne faut pas faire quand on possède un studio et du temps libre. Un disque sans âme, sans tripes, sans urgence, sans intérêt. Une tache grise dans une discographie, un rendez-vous manqué avec l'histoire, et surtout, un immense moment de solitude pour quiconque a le malheur de poser le diamant sur sa face A. À fuir d'urgence, sous peine de dépression nerveuse immédiate causée par un excès de fadeur.
Relaxte muziek.
The 80s, you say?
The Good: Mr Winwood! The Bad: This album… The Ugly: Mr Winwood… If you read his bio… OMFG… He’s like the GOAT, who nobody knows about… at least, for those of us who know him only for the 2 cheesy ‘80s songs he did. For the stellar back ground that he has, all the experiences that he gathered… could he not have made a better fucking album? This is like Einstein deciding to connect the fucking dots instead of E=MC2 the shit out of physics… Not a totally waste of my time… but wish it were more enjoyable. 3*
While there are a handful of catchy melodies, on the whole this is disposable, 80s era, adult contemporary pop that sounds incredibly dated. A curious choice for this list.
After reading some reviews, I expected this to be more bland. While it is mostly inoffensive soft rock, there is still some interesting stuff going on in this album especially with the synth. It isn't something I will necessarily come back to, but I had a positive listening experience. Favorite Track - Spanish Dancer Least Favorite Track - Showdown Sundown ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Meh
meh, this was okay. I didn't even listen to the whole thing through but what I heard was cool. What I found most interesting was that he was the sole player of all instruments on that album. That's pretty amazing talent. Not only to be able to play all the instruments but to be able to put them all together. So..3 stars on this one.
I think this is what we do it for man I never or I barely heard of Steven Woodward before this project now did he blow me away but there are some definite gems on this album that I will be taking with me for examples slow down sundown I feel like that song is very hauntingly beautiful so thanks 1001 albums for bringing me this album to my attention
Felt quite fresh and promising to start with but slipped into some synthy cheese territory quite quickly. Night Train was a bit of a banger. A decent listen. Very dated but still quite cool.
This is pretty cool, the palette is tasteful.
'While You See A Chance' is a phenomenal song and carries the album to a 3 star rating for me. Steve Winwood's voice is so smooth. But the rest of the album is pretty bland.
7/10 - I liked it Fav Tracks: While You See A Chance, Arc Of A Diver Heard before? ---–- ❌ Saved a Song? ----- ❌ Saved Album? --–-- ❌ Will Listen Again? -- ❌
155. ok
Decent pop record for sure and When You See A Chance is a great song, but I thought the rest of the album was so-so, not sure I agree with this particular record being on the list.
I was previously familiar with Steve Winwood, and had heard this album a couple times. While You See A Chance is great and Spanish Dancer is good, but much of the remainder of the album is rather uninteresting pop. I would listen to the album again but would much prefer to just listen to While You See A Chance.
While You See a Chance - 4/5 Arc of a Diver - 3.5/5 Second-Hand Woman - 3/5 Slowdown Sundown - 3/5 Spanish Dancer - 3/5 Night Train - 3.5/5 Dust - 3/5 I'm young enough where my first exposure to Steve Winwood was through Eric Prydz and his interpolation of the song "Valerie" into "Call on Me". I had listened to that and his other big hit "Higher Love", and I was expecting to find something similar to those two songs. While I did get a fairly synth-heavy sophisto-pop album, it unfortunately peaked at the very beginning with his most popular single at the time and then immediately petered off into a snore by the end. It wasn't horrible, but I probably won't be remembering anything outside of the lead track Overall: 3/5 Favorites: While You See a Chance
As David Letterman used to joke with Paul Shaffer, "Ya just don't hear enough of that Stevie Winwood," alluding to Winwood's ubiquitous presence on pop radio in the early 90s. This, of course, predates that time but begins to establish Winwood's pop cred with the up-tempo synth/keyboard sound of While You See a Chance. Nothing memorable after that, but his top 40 heyday was still to come.
You're really testing me, dear album generator....
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 just feels a bit goofy. Not because he intended it that way, but the quirky synths just have a shoulder dancing vibe while drinking a glass of rosé (with an ice cube) in the suburbs. It's like the 80's theme song to every family sitcom of the era. If I ever hear this again, I'll pop that rosé and get my shoulders loose.
2/5. Only two things keeping me from lowering this to a 1 is that I quite liked a lot of the bass lines on the album and the synths aren’t as awfully produced as they are on a lot of other 80’s pop albums. Beyond that though I got nothing out of this one. I really just don’t like this style of vocals, they’re just so cheesy and not in the fun way. And outside of the basslines the instrumental arrangements on here are in one ear and out the other, nothing offensively bad, but also nothing of particular interest.
6/10… yacht rock / 80s pop / *1980
On paper it's pretty impressive, frankly, if you know anything about music production it's very impressive, this is a real one-man-band. There's a slight funk which evolves even more choppy from here on out. As far as the actual sound he produced, I'm not a huge fan, funky blue eyed soul still feels like it's missing the 'soul' part. 2.4/5
Started out cool but the instrumentation and songwriting got pretty weak as the album went on.
3 - decent
Too light for me. ★★
Mooi hoor
Good
AOR yacht pop done well but not incredibly. Wild having this sandwiched between two Public Enemy records. That's what I'm here for.
Gentle and boring, like a doctors office. 2.8/5
While You See a Chance - 4/5 Arc of a Diver - 4/5 Second-Hand Woman - 2/5 Slowdown Sundown - 3/5 Spanish Dancer - 3/5 Night Train - 3/5 Dust - 2/5 Average score: 3/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ we got Phil Collins at home Phil Collins at home:
About as '80s as it gets. Also, are you telling me that this isn't Phil Collins singing? Best Song: While You See a Chance Rating: 6/10 Stars: 3
Listenable but not something I'll go back to
I think this album sounds better the closer you are to a boat.
Valeriiiiiieeeeee, where are you?
Oof, we've got an AOR, sophisti-pop, yacht rock platter on this docket today, boys. Truly the trivium of musical Kryptonite to this listeners ears. IT'S FINE.
It was okay
1001 album du må høre på for å virkelig forstå at ingenting var bedre før. Temu-versjonen av 80-talls-syntpop.
Glancing at the tracklisting I assumed the only song I knew here was While You See a Chance but turns out I had heard the title track and Spanish Dancer before without knowing that was what they were called. My Dad had a Stevie Winwoof greatest hits that he used to play a bit when we were growing up so that's how I was more familiar than I first thought. All those tracks were good, the other stuff was a bit synth heavy, sub Phil Collins fare. Actually I also quite liked Night Train though ai'm guessing the line about it going from "Paris to Spain" was because that scanned better than naming any individual Spanish city. You need to give us a bit more detail, Steve! It's all fine and dandy going to Zaragoza for example, but not if your A9rBnb is in Cordoba.
There were two go to session piano players in London: Nicky Hopkins and Steve Winwood. Winwood played with everyone from Howling Wolf to Hendrix to Paul Weller. He was in two hit making groups; Spencer Davis and Traffic, as well as two "Super Groups": Blind Faith and Ginger Baker's Air Force. (Three Super Groups if you count the band Townsend put together to support Clapton in his come back Rainbow Concert.) So what happened here? As a solo artist he proves to be a sort of less interesting Phil Collins, just as Collins is a less interesting Peter Gabriel. The first song - While You See a Chance - is perfectly fine, but after that it just becomes a dull soup of synths, keyboards and assorted instruments. Winwood plays and sings every note and you have to give credit for the virtuosity. But it's a pretty dull affair.
Not great, not terrible.
Not my style idk.
Reminds me of Peter Gabriel, just not as good. The only songs I know from Steve are Valerie and Higher Love, both really catchy numbers. Neither are on this album. 2/5.
I literally have nothing to say about this album. Ok....cool album cover
Я быдло не понял, но обещаю вернуться
Windows is a great musician, no doubts about it. But this was unfortunately boring
I think I have decided that you can only start a song with an organ if your name is George Michael. I’ll be honest, the first track of this album (While you see a chance) sounds like the generic backing tracks you would get on a keyboard (which I incessantly played with at the age of 10 to the chagrin of my parents). It gives knock off Daft Punk? I definitely prefer the more soulful songs like Arc of a Diver and Second Hand Woman and the more groovy Night Train. At the same time, the album gives divorcée seduction, nostalgia, but an acceptance that your best years full of youthful excitement are behind you.
This was cute. Just kind of ok but an easy listen
One okay song. The rest are tolerable and/or irritating. Spanish Dancer is downright cringey. 2.5
6.0/10 Half of the songs are pretty good
There were some songs on here I enjoyed, but this didn't really stick with me.
Qué gusto da cuando un álbum te da una sorpresa para bien. Me gustó demasiado.
That’s a gift for you, bumblebee. Enjoy it, Coach Dick-and-Balls.
Actually forgot about it *while* listening to it.
I have to imagine this was squarely in the bargain bin by 1981. The 1001 is really testing my patience again.
Vond dit wel leuk
Not bad but not super memorable. Pretty cool that he did essentially everything himself.
Good start.
i remember the hit
Decent, easy to listen to.
Phil Collins but mid
3.5 banger opener
I like the more experimental 80's music. This style is not for me. Just boring, similar sounding soft rock/pop.
Amiga 500/Comodore 64/ Spectrum ZX vibes in the first 20 seconds of track one. Sadly, that was the best bit.
The only song I was familiar with on this album was "While You See A Chance", which was Winwood's first solo hit song. Winwood wrote all the music, played all the instruments and produced and engineered the album himself. I will always give credit to artists who do that, as that alone shows their talent. Having said that, I think this is a good album. Some catchy songs. Do I think it's a great album and should be on a list of the greatest albums? In my opinion, it's not. I respect Winwood's talent, but I've always kind of considered him middle of the road and his music good, but not earth shattering.
this sucked
If you told me this was Peter Gabriel I would have believed you.
Cliché is especially bad when it's incoherent, as the following snatch from the first track brings to light: 'Stand up in a clear blue morning / Until you see what can be / Alone in a cold day dawning / Are you still free? Can you be?' It's hard to tell what that means, tho you know it's not much & not all that interesting. I quite dig the Steve Winwood of Blind Faith but confess to knowing little about his work w/ Traffic or the Spencer Davis Group. On this record, he gets more and more annoying, especially that high tenor voice, which had been endearingly soulful w/ Clapton, Baker, & Grech. Often, he just sounds like a far less poignant Van Morrison. Also, you know that cat Bobby Caldwell J Dilla sampled for 'The Light'? That guy's better as well.
Honestly enjoyed the album, nothing crazy and not going to jam out to anything, but it was a nice listen. Like a 3.5
Nice to see Steve Winwood return to the the spotlight, but feels light, not essential.
I know Steve Winwood can make songs I love—higher love, Valerie—but these were all just fine. Spanish dancer gets a point for putting DJ to sleep.
Steve could do a lot better than this.
I was expecting to like it more tbh
This was great.
Buen ritmo, creo que lo volveré a escuchar, me gusta.
This is actually a pretty great album. I think maybe at the time I felt that while yeah, it was Okay, it was still kind of mainstream for my alternative tastes so I kinda sorta never put all his songs together. Now that I listened to a full album and have maybe a bit of distance from when it came out, I find it pretty great actually. Straight up this is a solid, good album worth listening to, maybe more than once!
Really dug this one. Love me some good 80's pop. 4.5 bumped up to 5.
I’m at a 4.5 that I’ll bump down to a 4. I like Steve Winwood a lot. I like ‘80s production, even when it’s this cheesy & synth heavy. I also like Phil Collins, whose lack of a solo album here baffles me a little bit; not even “Face Value”, just for “In The Air Tonight”? I bring up Phil because… well, Steve Winwood sounds a lot like Phil Collins here, as many people have pointed out, especially so on the first two tracks. Put all of that together, along with Steve’s solid (if cheesy) songwriting & his innate musical ability (he played EVERY SINGLE instrument here), and you end up with a pretty damn good effort across the board. I enjoyed all the tracks here; there’s a good funk behind tracks like “Second-Hand Woman” & “Night Train”, some great guitar work both electrically & acoustically (“Slowdown Sundown” on the latter especially), and when this album wants to break out real drums to go with the synths, it just makes me wonder why so many artists in this decade chose to pair drum machines with synths. Granted, Steve is just as guilty of drum machine use here, but it still sounds nice. Overall, while it’s certainly cheesy at times & EXTREMELY dated to 1980, it’s the sort of cheesy style that’s directly attuned to my musical tastes, for better or worse. So, why the 4.5 bumped down to a 4? Well, even I have my limits / critiques. This album settles into its starting groove a bit too often, leaving these tracks in a state of limbo that you will either tolerate because it’s surrounded by little synth hits & melodies that try to keep it fresh, or you will despise it because the synth hits just feel like bandaids for an endless loop. The truth is somewhere in the middle; I think these do a decent job of maintaining a groove & an energy, but not enough tracks shake things up meaningfully in a way that gives the track good progression. That’s combined with repeating lyrics & an overt reliance on choruses that starts to feel really noticeable towards the end of the album. “Arc of a Diver” is guilty of that chorus reliance, “Second-Hand Woman” desperately needs a bridge in there to shake up the rhythm, “Spanish Dancer” does as well, & “Dust” is just overly guilty of the repeating lyrics, in a way where it’s a weaker album closer. The best track here is a tie between “When You See a Chance” & “Night Train”, as neither really hit on those tropes. That pile of issues along with the same ‘consistently good, never hits a stretch of great’ thought process that I threw at “Brothers” is why this is getting a bump down to a 4, but as with “Brothers”, I still really enjoyed it & I still do recommend it. Obviously, since I have an affinity for this style & a bit of tolerance, I don’t see all of those issues as huge sinking deals, but for people who already don’t really like this style, I sort of get & understand the 1’s & 2’s. Personally, I think the floor is a 3, but regardless, I think it’s still got a place on the list. It’s certainly on the chopping block, but I’ve heard much, much worse before. It’s a 4.5 that I’ll bump down to a 4.
I can get down on some Steve Winwood when the mood strikes. This is a fine record over all (I actually have it on vinyl for some reason), but the best I can say about it is it's fairly generic and inoffensive. There's nothing super spectacular about it, but it is a pretty tight and consistent pop album.
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.
4/4 Pretty good. Only song of Steve Winwood I was familiar with was Valerie. This reminds me a lot of Genesis with Peter Gabriel
There’s a certain effortless polish to 𝘈𝘳𝘤 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘋𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳, but that’s also its biggest problem — it’s almost too smooth. The album drifts along on soft grooves and glossy production, feeling distinctly yacht-adjacent without ever becoming particularly engaging. While Winwood’s musicianship is undeniable, the songs themselves feel oddly weightless, lacking the spark or emotional pull you might expect for an artist of his stature. It’s pleasant in the background, but rarely compelling in the foreground.
Sax in the first song was great. Everything else was a snoozefest.
I'm a sucker for this kind of shit. It's not exciting or really all that interesting, but I vibe with it.
This is certainly 1980
Synthy, yacht album. Not noteworthy. This list needs to stop celebrating mediocre white people albums. 2*
Nah. Not s'much.
I liked this one!!
This was alright.
pretty sweet
I don't know what I expected this to be, but I was wrong in the worst way. I don't really know what this is. Yacht Rock? Disco? 80s bubblegum pop? I had heard one of the songs and it's fine. The rest of the album is not.
This album is completely harmless. I actually forgot “While You See a Chance” existed for 46 straight years, and after listening today I still couldn’t recall it without referring to the track listing again. A kinder way to say all this is, it’s a nice album. And I actually kind of like “Arc of a Diver” and especially “Spanish Dancer” which has some cool piano ambiance. I have respect for Steve Winwood. His work in The Spencer Davis Group and Traffic was phenomenal. Unfortunately this album is oh so 80s, and not in the underground cool way but in the soft, synthetic way.
In the early 60s Stevie Winwood sold his soul for talent, musicianship, and for entry into the world of Rock and Roll. And though no one thought it was possible, he bought it back for an 80s music production kit and produced this album. It's as if all his musical peers were turned into ones and zeros and said yes to every bad idea Steve ever had. I suppose that if you have never heard of The Spencer Davis Group, Traffic, or Blind Faith, you might think this is excellent music (especially if you're in the dentist's waiting room). However, if you care at all about music, you'll know that this album is on this list only as a cautionary tale about what can happen when you deal with the devil and/or embrace the 80s music production kit.
Hot garbage
Guy is such a sock sniffer. Holy fucking cheese. Stinky.
Another worldwide hit, but I find the rest only mediocre.
A Peter Gabriel knockoff sorry Steve
Sorry but no thanks!
The bastard love child of Phil Collins and Peter Gabriel and as musically tepid as you'd expect. 2 stars.
Really not my thing, middle of the road 80s pop
me gusta mucho la melodia sesentera, zombiesca y terroriana, sin embargo muy gringo :-)
This was pretty good. I like Steve Winwood and have since he was in Traffic, and everything he does is generally pretty great. This album was a little shorter than I'd like, but otherwise I enjoyed it. Four stars.
Incredibly dated synthesiser sounds, missing a signature song to unite the album, it sounded like a poorer version of mid eighties Genesis
algo de rock, algo de jazz se va haciendo largo conforme avanza y no me atrapo
You know, that's a long way from Blind Faith
just kinda fine
More keyboards than I remember. Pretty good album still
4/10. Fav Track - While You See A Chance I listened to this one twice because honestly I wasn't sure how I felt after the first go. I have a good time listening but it always comes down to "Do I want to include any of this in my main playlist" and unfortunately I didn't.
Very impressed that he played all the instruments on this. Talented guy
Arc Of A Diver was a nice listen. Hecho mas impresionante al saber que el tipo grabo todos los instrumentos y canto. Arc of a Diver fue mi cancion favorita. 3/5
Vocally annoying, musically relatively decent. Didn't get much out of this. "Valerie" and "Higher Love", IMO, are the only decent songs he ever did.
Really good!
Wow, I'm bored again
Familiar with Steve (formerly Stevie) from his previous lives. Quite impressed that he wrote all the songs, played every instrument, preformed all lead and backing vocals, mixed, engineered, and produced the entire album in the studio he built on his farm in England. And the album is good (mellow.) Strong start with While You See A Chance, Al the other songs are listenable or better. Solid finish with Night Train and Dust. Great breakout solo effort by Winwood. L = (3.0*s) Additional points for executing this entire project from start to finish by himself, definitely listened with more appreciation upon learning this, otherwise would be just another mellow Winwood album. J = (4.4*s) When you see a chance, take it! We’ll be hearing from Steve again before the project is complete.
Steve Winwood's works are the epitome of easy listening. He is the master of muzak, the earl of the elevator, a wizard in the waiting room, the great one of the grocery store. Arc of a Diver is not his best album in my opinion but with his break out hit "While You See The Chance" on here, he made a name for himself. That track is one of his bests but I think "Spanish Dancer" sneaks in and steals the top spot on the record. I had not heard that one prior (or any of the others). Steve has a pretty epic musical past that I knew little about as well, teaming up with Clapton and Baker. I like that he had become a truly solo artist at this point in his career though, playing all the instruments on this one. Not the most ground breaking but enjoyable...dives in at 2.36 stars.
While I was enjoying the first couple songs off this album, it wasn't able to sustain the momentum it had through the back half of the album. Opening track While You See A Chance was the highlight of the album for me, and while I also liked title track Arc Of A Diver, it can genuinely say it was pretty much downhill from there. Steve Winwood has some great stuff in his bag, but he also has quite a bit of skippable filler. When it all comes together effectively it perfectly scratches that smooth easy-listening itch that puts a smile on your face. The remainder of the collection ends up becoming easily ignored background music. I like Steve Winwood but feel he works best as a greatest hits artist. When it all wraps up Arc Of A Diver is just OK and lands in the middle of the pack. 2.46 stars
OK, this actually doesn't blow as much as I thought it would. Maybe my taste in music sucks, but whatever. First off, I'm not a huge Steve Winwood listener. I know Traffic's John Barleycorn Must Die only because my dad played it non-stop when I was a kid, but I never checked out much of his solo stuff, hits aside. Imagine my surprise that he made a synth-pop album in 1980. I can tolerate Neil Young's Trans and a lot of Phil Collins's stuff with no problem, so why should I shun this? Well, for starters, a lot of the work with the synthesizers and Minimoog is a bit outdated, even as retro and fun as it sounds at times. You have to get beyond that to hear the nice analog sounds underneath. Winwood's voice is overall soulful, fresh, and enthusiastic. I like the fact that he recorded this whole thing himself—it just shows what a monster musician and producer he was, even though he is best known as a guitarist. The title track and "Night Train" totally rock for the style, but unfortunately, it's a bit wimpy overall, as the synths often dull down what he's trying to accomplish. Winwood is a romantic; it's clear. So, here's the thing—invite a date over, or have a dinner night with your partner or spouse. Light some candles, prepare a bubble bath, eat a roast, drink some cocktails and wine, and put this on in the background. It should work just fine. A harmless, gentle, if unessential, listening offering overall.
1980. Its an enjoyable upbeat soul and blues rock album. Never heard this album but I feel like I recognize Stephen Winwoods voice. Definitely would relisten, strong 3
Cheesy 80s pop-rock. Pretty disappointing in comparison to some of the recent selections.
Easy listen, nothing special
Fine. Could see where he was going with the music, but he didn't get there with the vocals.
Yachty yachty yacht rock, but not bad. Kinda dated though.
Pretty good but not my vibe
Pretty typical sounding early 80s solo artist album to me. Not amazing but some nice vocals and production. Upbeat and a little funky too
While You See a Chance sounds like a TV theme song and the production sounds like a Tim & Eric parody of 80s synth pop. Arc of a Diver is smooth in an 80s yuppie way. The lyrics are awkward and bad. Second-Hand Woman is either a too-late disco song or an early inspiration for Japanese City Pop. Slowdown Sundown has a nice mandolin part but the production makes this too corny to enjoy. Really sappy stuff here. It reminds me a bit of Baby, I Love Your Way by Peter Frampton. More Tim & Eric synth vibes on Night Train.
Nice, chill, relaxing.
lo peor de ser hortera es no ser consciente de ello