Arc Of A Diver

3 listens, got better with each one. All instruments played by Steve. Would have been really cool to hear in 1980. Its sonic texture is dated and closely linked with 80s new wave, but ahead of the curve and easy listening.

A decent pop rock album. I like his use of the moog. Extra points for recording everything himself. Impressive!

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.

Immediately recognized the intro track, not sure who I thought it was originally. Pretty good! I thought it was peter gabriel.

MOR. Not sure why its on the list?

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!

80s soft rock with a voice of gold.

Feels extremely "safe".

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

Up and down but inoffensive

Très très très 80s yacht rock codé (ma came)

It was fine. Nothing more, nothing less.

Erm, formulaic without being unpleasant.

A vibe

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.

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

1) Phil Collins and Peter Gabriel for the poor. 2) Yacht rock, but your yacht is a yacht in GTA Vice City

It’s fine - but I would prefer all the songs to have that guitar from the 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.

I thought this album had a ton of heart. It was solid musically, no particular bangers stood out to me, though. Very yacht rock.

Nice and easy on the head lp, but the day after i can't even remember the songs

The 80s, you say?

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, 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.

'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? -- ❌

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.

6/10… yacht rock / 80s pop / *1980

3 - decent

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.

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.

Not great, not terrible.

Я быдло не понял, но обещаю вернуться

This was cute. Just kind of ok but an easy listen

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.

Not bad but not super memorable. Pretty cool that he did essentially everything himself.

Good start.

Decent, easy to listen to.

3.5 banger opener

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.

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 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.

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

I'm a sucker for this kind of shit. It's not exciting or really all that interesting, but I vibe with it.

This was alright.

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.

me gusta mucho la melodia sesentera, zombiesca y terroriana, sin embargo muy gringo :-)

just kinda fine

More keyboards than I remember. Pretty good album still

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

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

Yachty yachty yacht rock, but not bad. Kinda dated though.

Pretty typical sounding early 80s solo artist album to me. Not amazing but some nice vocals and production. Upbeat and a little funky too

Nice, chill, relaxing.

Favorite Song: Arc Of A Diver

"second rate phil collins" - manualex. would have been 100% better if every song had the moog in it.

Really enjoyed the first half, not your typical rock sound and i think it benefits from the influence of the 70’s blended with the forward thinking of the 80’s. A nice middle spot, but just like her looks, the love faded and by the end of the record i was not as excited. 6/10

Cool Matisse-inspired album art. The music itself isn't as cool. I find it pretty average.

So the Wikipedia article says he played everything on this album. I think that’s pretty cool.

Meh, too much 80s synth and drum machine in here.

this is roller skating music

A little dated. Some great songs. Love Steve Winwood. 3.5/5

Whilst listening to this album, I couldn't help but feel like this was a worse version of Phil Collins. Is that entirely fair? Probably not. Does that make this a bad project? Definitely not. But it does make it a solid 3-star album.

I have a soft spot for this yacht rock (not what it would have been called at the time, I know) soul vibe. If only the rest of the album was as locked in as the first three songs.

A true disappointment. The Casio-like synth arrangements sound incredibly dated. When You See A Chance and Night Train are great songs. The rest grew on me upon a second listen. Except for Dust, which is a treacly way to end an album. I'd love to hear these songs played with a real piano or Hammond B3 organ.

So cool its frigid. Or is it ice hot?

Like it 3/5

Its ok.

I know this was a breakout album for Winwood, but it's still boring music.

There are some nice songs on this record, but it's a bit too "easy listening" for me to take it seriously as art.

nice background music

There are a lot of synths. By any measure, TOO MANY SYNTHS. In fact, this album has many questionable production choices that illustrate the fine line between 'talented multi-instrumentalist' and 'no one wants to come to my English farmhouse recording studio'. Regardless, this is a pop confection. 1980 must have been a hell of a confusing time for a musician. Favorite song: Arc of a Diver

While some of this sounds like yacht rock circa early 80's, there are some really good songs on here. "While You See a Chance," the title track, "Spanish Dancer," and "Night Train" are all quality but the others are instantly forgettable and kind of dull. A lot of solo Winwood is wallpaper-like and, with its Casio keyboard flourishes, sounds very dated.

It was okay. Very 80s

Pretty good. Great singer, musician.

This album doesn't even have Higher Love on it. And "Night Train" is not a cover of the Guns 'N Roses song. What it does have is a lot of dated keyboards and synthesizers and some real sensitive singing.

Hørt i stua hjemme en kveld. Snakk om å utnytte synthesizeren sine muligheter på mest mulig irriterende måte. Noen høydepunkter: spanish dancer, night train. Ellers ligner Dominic Sessa helt sykt mye på en ung Winwood.

Hyggelig musikk, men i bunn og grunn veldig mid.

A bit of fun but not a whole lot of substance

Some decent, fairly catchy tunes. Not a big fan of the synth work (mostly in the first half of the album), but overall I didn't mind listening to this.

Couldn’t remember a thing about it. But it didn’t offend me or anything

I’m a big fan of how music was developing in the early 80s, but most of this feels a little dated and out of step with the time. The first three tracks don’t do much for me, and some of the keyboards sound like Steve is squeaking out a tuneful fart. The music gets a little better starting with track 4, where we get some more traditional instruments he sounds more comfortable with. I figured I was headed for a 2/5 here, but Spanish Dancer was a huge surprise — the first time I’m hearing something really interesting and good. Solid groove, much better keyboard sounds. Actually makes me think of stuff from Robert Palmer’s “Clues.” This track alone makes me feel a lot better about Arc of A Diver, even though it might be the only track I return to.

It’s not particularly exciting but who doesn’t like a bit of yacht rock? Well, quite a few of you based on the average rating.

Seems to be a lot of negative reviews for this album. Don't quite get it. Some songs we're not that great, maybe, but otherwise I don't think this album was bad at all! It's funny, whenever an album is different, e.i. uses non-diatonic chords or melodies, modulates or whatever, people typically seem to dislike it. What a shame. It's not an amazing album per se, but I remember feeling it was done mostly in good taste imo.

Fun

Background noise, funky at times

Some decent tracks

Good enough

Not the best Steve Winwood hits bur an enjoyable listen for people named Carly

Not terrible 80s synth pop à la Phil collins

As smooth as it is forgettable. I think Steve Winwood has written some good songs, but I think all of these missed the mark.

-damnn ok there’s something i kinda like about this… might even prefer it to both Traffic albums i’ve heard -doesn’t seem to be one of his more esteemed albums necessarily and it diiiid feel a little aimless ig, but it was definitely doing something for me. very groovy very vibes. 3.5 -Favorites: Second-Hand Woman, Spanish Dancer, Night Train

Quite progressive, cool 80’s instrumentation without being cheesy. Good background music but wouldn’t really listen actively again.

Fue como escuchar la intro de Alf una y otra vez.

Couldn't care less. Felt generic 80s music. It was ok but going to forget it pretty soon.

Fun when it gets funky or electronic, but a bit easy listening otherwise

Ligner litt Phil Collins

BEST SONGS: - Second-Hand Woman - Night Train

I'm being generous with my 3-star rating because I have a soft spot for Steve Winwood and because I think it's quality is hampered by the synthesizers which defined so much of production when this album came out. Remaster this album without the electronic syth? It's a solid 3, maybe a bit higher. While You See a Chance is a solid opener that still resonates as a strong pop song--although on re-listen it's clear that Winwood's Valerie--another favorite of mine--is almost identical, Spanish Dancer is a commendable ballad, and Night Train has a great groove. These songs without synthesizer? Long-lasting pop songs. The other tunes would all be improved by a similar re-mastering, and all have good bones. Okay, enough belabored justification for an overly generous rating. :)

Carino dai

Not my favorite of his, it has not aged well

This album was good. I liked the electric feel but it all blended together

I enjoyed this, but it seems more than inessential

I feel pretty neutral to this. Some more interesting moments in the beginning of the album. Later in the album dragged on a bit with several songs overstaying their welcome and being too repetitive. Meh. 2.5/5 -> 3/5

5/10

It’s ok

Mais uma que lembra músicas do Ragnarok. Começou divertidinho. Álbum todo com uma vibe boa dos anos 80, me imagino andando numa cidade pequena dos Estados Unidos, indo tomar um sorvete na esquina com uma jaqueta de couro. Bom álbum. 3*

You would have thought Steve Winwood was Canadian by how much they played this on the radio when it came out in 1980. The Muzak adjacent While You See A Chance was a monster hit mixing Phil Collins pop with a catchy disco beat. Mothers in the grocery would sing along while they morning shopped the cereal aisle with their children. Because, of course, it’s all on you. While you see a chance take it find romance. This, at least in my mind, was when I knew that we had entered the New Wave - the rough production of the 70’s had faded and white people trying to get funky-lite were being played on the radio. Arc of A Diver is more of the same. What is undeniably true about this record is that Steve has a voice that is smooth and pleasant and mist importantly earnest. The smooth jazz solo seems cliched now 46 years later but the production and songs on this record can transport you back to 1980 when I was a mere lad if 20. Id already made my music choice at thus point - punk rock had won me over - DOA, Subhumans, Pointed Sticks and Active Dog along with the more famous- but Steve had a place as music for meeting the ladies who loved to dance to pop disco and Steve Winwood was exact that. Safe, poppy and seemingly hipper than you. Second Hand Woman is more of the same and so is the rest of the record. Light safe bouncy pop music for the masses. Impressively, Steve is the only musician on the record having played all instruments. Not all of it works, Slowdown- Sundown is a bit of a dirge as is Spanish Dancer. 2nd half could have used some editing as the songs are a bit too long. Dust, the closer, being the best of this half primarily because Steve’s vocals are pretty earnest giving it some life. Not my cup of tea but not a stinker. 3/5

Winwood is a music giant, this is classic sound, melodies and arrangements a bit too eighties

Phill Collins bibes

an ok album

Easy to hate, easy to love.. production levels could have been better maybe? 2.5/5

Not a bad soft rock album that screams 1980s. Highlights: "Slowdown Sundown" and "Night Train"

Not viewed particularly favourably on the 1001 site - and to a certain extent, I can understand why, as the production job and synth work date it a hell of a lot, and it's very typically quirky and corny for the early 80s period. One of the top reviews remarks that it's a "cut-rate Peter Gabriel knock off" album, and in some ways I wouldn't disagree. However, I'm a fan of Peter Gabriel and have an inexplicable soft spot for cheesy 80s rock, so I largely enjoyed this, even if I wouldn't actively plump for it over the latter. It's perhaps not quite purchase material, but not far off.

Eh. A few interesting tracks, but mostly something I don’t see myself revisiting

Soft, easy and groovy tunes. The electronic instrumentation is a bit cheesy (typical 80s), but it matches the Phil Collins doppleganger. Nothing too exhilarating or inspirational on this one for me, but it’s listenable.

A fine start, some easy listening, nothing that particular about it. Impressive that everything was done by Steve, playing the instruments, singing, writing, producing and engineering all of the songs, buuut that's still not a reason for being an album you HAVE to hear before you die. I have no idea how much of an influence on music this had had, but idk this is just not it for me. It's kinda average, I'd play this as background music, nothing more though.

I didn’t think this was bad, but understand why this may not be everyone’s cup of tea. However, I don’t understand the vitriol from some of the reviewers…geez! Anyway, other than a couple of stinkers, I thought this was OK. Three stars.

An enjoyable listen. I didn’t know any of these, but will likely return to them.

Imagine my disappointment when I quickly figured out that this isn’t the album with Higher Love on it… Steve went to the club, got turned inside out and came up with this album during the hangover. & This album would’ve been ten times better if he got a better drum machine!! Still not a fully terrible output so I’ll give it a 3.

la cosa più anni 80 mai esistita

Some good tunes that I haven't heard in years

It’s just very average, reminds me of a crappy version of Peter Gabriel's solo albums and an average version of anything from phill collins after Peter Gabriel left Genesis, it’s really, really tepid the very middle of the road 3/5

3/5

3.5

Sad that they did not pick the album with the song Valerie.

*1980. *The first track (While You See a Chance) was great, and I was ready to be totally in on this album. But then the rest was pretty forgettable. RATING - 6.5/10

The first song sounded familiar, like from a movie or TV show but a quick search discovered it wasn't used for theme but I wasn't the only one who that it was. Overall, nothing else stood out. Generic mellow soft rock

Me debato entre ponerle 3 o 4 estrellas. Siento que Arc Of A Diver es un álbum al que perfectamente le quedaría un 3.5 de calificación. Es muy padre, sin llegar a lo genial, per que seguro conectará con los que crecimos en los ochenta escuchando power ballads como las que suenan aquí. Inclusive llegué me pareció que la voz de Winwood sonaba igual a la de Peter Cetera cantando Glory Of Love. Las canciones están bien y se pasa un buen rato. No sé si podría enamorarme del disco, aunque sí lo escucharía de nuevo. En fin. Tres estrellas, supongo.

80er

Super slick production, not sure it had any songs that really blew me away, but there's no bad ones either. Nice length of album, overall not bad, not amazing.

Not bad

3. Not nearly as good as I remembered.

7/10

While you see a chance is still a great song. The rest…..meh. Steve was still sharpening his knives on this one until he produced my favorite album of his, Back In The High Life.

The year and period of transition of this albums creation, and Steves obvious wish to record this album himself in a home studio using modern technology, means that this is very much of its time and would date almost immediately. Some of the sounds are truly nauseating but even on the title track the song lifts beyond the cheese and has many charms. The bad sucks (second hand woman in particular, what a vulgar hook line), but there a three great songs in "while you see a chance", "Spanish dancer" and "night train". Shame not to be able to give it 3.5 ⭐ here but on 1001 this is a...

Album #977 Pleasant adult contemporary synth pop-rock with a good singer. For me, I enjoyed it enough, but it wasn't anything special. Maybe a high 3/5. Best track: While You See a Chance, Take It.

I wasn't a big fan of 1980s Soft Rock, and could take it or leave it. This is album is OK, with my favourite tracks being "While You See a Chance" and "Spanish Dancer", but I prefer his previous self-titled album.

Winwood’s voice is inviting. But what are with these songs?! Long, ponderous, and uninteresting. “While You See a Chance” is still radio-worthy, of course. But its (near-kazoo-level) instrumentation is so dated. This album is not essential now. I doubt it ever was. 2.5?

Cool keyboards. Very 80s soft rock.

Sounds pretty dated.

Some good tunes.

Pleasantly mellow, but it all sounds very similar - early 80s like Paul Simon

Le presté bastante poca atención pero suena guay. A veces está bien el concepto de señores mayores blancos jugando a hacer synth pop. Creo que me podrían gustar bastante las vibes en escuchas sucesivas pero de primeras no llamó demasiado mi atención aparte de un par de temas.

Love the first song of the album. The rest is ok but not so special

It was fine. It had a familiar energy that wouldn't be unappreciated at a live show, but I personally wouldn't reach for it in an album.

I know that other musicians love little Stevie Winwood. Nothing wrong with this album, just a little too mellow for me. It's solid, just not my jam.

That opening song can only take you so far.

Platonic idea 80s plastic synth yacht rock to the point where I wonder if he actually invented that particular sound... considering he played every instrument on this he probably did. I like this dad rock genre tbh, maybe I am a dad inside really. Great lyrics, a gentle kind of groove, writing isn't exceptional but it is super well executed. Some songs do make me cringe though

The generation of synth adult contemporary? Traffic is so good and this is so boring.

Actually really dug this, even though "Higher Love" wasn't on it. Only note: include "Higher Love" next time.

Not bad, but nothing really stood out to me.

I have to confess that a part of me enjoys this greatly. But that part is dumb, and the larger part of me can’t with any honesty call this an album that everyone should listen to before they die. (If you have a baffling affinity for yacht-rock and soulless 80s pop like me, though, it’s pretty good shit.)

Stevie - never been a fave - it’s all a bit meh for me but I appreciate the talent.

Due to the synth and drum sounds, this is reminiscent of a bunch of other 80s pop rock. But then you realize this was released in 1980. That's years before Synchronicity, "Forever Young," or So, just to compare it with some similar "artsy" 80s pop. This doesn't make it better necessarily, but supports what you can guess from the music: this isn't just a trend-hopping "rock musician goes pop" album. Most everything here is subtly groovy and smooth, nothing is overblown or clumsy. The best tracks are the groovy ones, especially the first three and "Night Train" (shame about the lyrics on "Second-Hans Woman" though). The slower moments like "Slowdown Sundown" work much less well, though the closer's smooth hooks end the album on a high, though sad, note. This is really close to a 4 and might get there if it had just a bit more of a groove in its duller moments.

Primero que todo: portadón. Segundo que algo: señor corny con sintetizadores y progresiones sorprendentemente interesantes. Tercero que nada: Música de padre divorciado de 53 años, me gusta como suena, no tanto lo que dice (Second-hand woman...) Eso suman 3 estrellas. Favs: Arc of a Diver, Night Train

I like Steve Winwood! He writes some toe-tappers! He also tends to meander and several songs sound samey. But he has a knack for finding grooves, and stands as one of the top Tolerable Guys in the Geddy Lee Club.

Eh, it was fine, pretty non-objectionable background music. I didn't dislike it enough to bump it down to two stars.

you know what this album reminds me of? Outrun, the videogame. It's something about the synths, cheap sounding and all, that just takes me there. Nostalgia is funny like that.

not bad at all IMO many forgettable songs but they were still pleasant enough and when the songs are good i really enjoy it, it feels like the outdated sounds should be much more grating than they actually end up being Fav song: While You See a Chance or Second-Hand Woman

There is a time and a space for yacht rock. That time is now. That space is wherever I am. So from a personal perspective, 4.5 stars. But from a more objective perspective, this isn’t that exciting, novel or great. So it’s probably closer to 2.5, rounding up to 3.

Dear old father, fellow traveller on the Project and the man most responsible for much of my musical heritage, is a big Winwood fan, and I can definitely see the appeal on this. He's a tremendous singer - with, although I'm not always great at judging this, a huge range. It's not earth-shatteringly great, but it's certainly very nice.

Я наче і люблю такий стиль (блю айд соул, АОР, оце все), але цей альбом доволі нудний. З іншого боку дуже сподобалась Spanish Dancer.

Some fun stuff her. The opener I've heard before, and I can't help but feel it should have been used for a sitcom opening song. Maybe it was. "Second Hand Woman" had some enjoyable synthetic funk. The whole thing is chock full of dated sounds which can be extremely cheesey. I found it was working for me today.

Steve Winwood no es sólo la voz de Spencer Davis Group o Traffic, es un reputado compositor, con una voz inimitable y sobre todo es el que toca el órgano en el Voodoo Chile de Hendrix. Este fue un disco con bastante éxito de ventas y crítica, aunque el tiempo lo ha difuminda un poco. Sin embargo apuntó el camino que luego seguirían Elton John o Phil Collins, con mayor o menor suerte, en los ochenta. Tal vez sea su mejor obra en solitario, junto con Back in the High Life (este con una lista de formidables músicos y colaboradores en contraste a este Arc of a diver). La portada de este gana por goleada. La voz de Winwood es, cómo no, excepcional. La producción ha quedado algo desentonada pero entonces sonaba excelente, de mucho nivel. Steve lo toca todo, compone e interpreta como si fuera el Prince del AOR. While you see a chance fue su primer éxito y el tema más comercial. Second hand woman, queda demasiado ochentera en mi opinión. Sundown slowdown, uno se la imagina en el repertorio del menor Rod Stewart, aunque a mi se me hace un poco larga es de lo mejor del disco junto con Night train que sube y sube el nivel hasta un final apoteósico, su casi 8 minutos son deliciosos. Spanish Dancer, con esos sintetizadores tan característicos de los primeros 80, ha envejecido muy bien. Cierra el disco Dust, otro tema muy bien desarollado.

This was different and in the right scenario I could see myself listening again but not now

Pretty good album lwk

I think this is the first time I've heard of the term 'yacht rock', despite having albums in a similar vein before. As with those other albums, it's very soft and breezy. I can't get on-board (no pun intended) with these kind of stylings, it's just not me. It's nice enough in itself, and I do actually like the synths, but it's just so tame and middle of the (sea). He gets credit for playing all the instruments though. 2.5 rounded up.

Straightforward 80's pop. Synth, slap bass and cheesy vocals abound. It's impressive as Winwood plays every instrument and produces the record himself. What's less impressive are the tunes. Fairly bland and uninteresting with occassional parts that try to be better. Best Tracks: While You See a Chance; Arc of a Diver; Night Train

Technically proficient, just didn't groove with it.

The music, performances, and songwriting are pretty good, but the eighties production and instrumentation have aged like milk. If this album had been made 5 or 6 years earlier it'd be great. 2.5/5.0: Mixed

liked this way more than expected. not something id put on but i didnt mind listening to it

Enjoyable, but would need another listen. 3.5.

Its alright. Pleasant and inoffensive.

"When You See a Chance" is the template for every major network theme song since its release, but I don't know if he gains or loses a point for that.

Of note: The guy played all the instruments on this album. Gets a point for that, but loses a point for being kinda boring.

Went into this one reluctantly as I wasn't a huge fan of 80s power-synth Winwood. But I liked it. Glad I gave it a chance. That said...I do think one can have 'too much' synth. I like an ice cream cone. I'd get sick after eating a tub of ice cream. There's a few great ice cream cones on this one. But I don't need to sit down with the entire tub again. (Maybe all of that's unfair. I just gave LCD Soundsystem 5 stars. Do they have too much synth? Perhaps Steve just had fewer synth flavors to work with...)

Alright. Better than I expected. Disappointed it didn’t have higher love

Have to admit. I expected more out of Little Stevie.

Dated, but has some appeal.

Fav Song: While you See A Chance

Estubo bonito mg

It was nice. It kinda felt like Alan Parson at home but I liked it

3.5

Still writing hits in the mid 80s. Overall good album, not great. Huge hit with See a Chance. Two really solid songs in Spanish Dancer and Night Train. Solid 3.

Kind of neutral on this one. At times it reminds me of a less-fun Peter Gabriel. I think Winwood fits into the blue-eyed soul category, but I've liked his singles and much of this album better than most of that genre. 3.2/5

This was all right.

This sounds like pretty typical 80's soul-pop. Definitely not as good as some other contemporaries, but also not nearly the worst music to come out of the 80s

Diet Phil Collins in his own way. Was groovy enough to enjoy the album, but no songs stood out.

I found this to be respectable to be honest. I enjoyed it; hardly bad but I wouldn't say it blew me away. Kinda reminded me of music you'd hear at a department store or something. 6/10.

This is some lesser known Steve Winwood stuff. I'm sure at least 90% of people getting this album are somewhat familiar with Winwood's later works, such as the more commercial "Back in the High Life". You can tell this album in particular paved the way for later releases such as that, with the use of all sorts of synthesizers and electronic drums. It's a fun listen, despite how dated the use of the aforementioned instruments may sound. I guess I'm just kinda partial to this sound, but I can acknowledge that things aren't quite as polished in the production. Winwood also apparently produced and engineered everything himself, which is wildly impressive.

I don’t know, I got kind of a kick out of it. It’s breezy on top of this yacht. I also kept thinking about Dennis Reynolds.

Me gustó mucho que tenía detalles de armonía complicados y ritmos también, pero siempre muy sencillo. No conocía tanto este género. 7/10

As someone who enjoyed this, sometimes I’m baffled by the choices on this list

And acknowledged fan of Steve Winwood. On a vinyl copy from quite some time ago of Back in the highlife. Despite the fact that I enjoyed this album, the song seemed a lot of the same.

Very dynamically boring. Easy listening.

Bores me to death. The well-known "While You See A Chance" secures him the weak three stars for me. 2,5

Arc of a Diver – Steve Winwood (1980) | Soft Rock / Blue-Eyed Soul / Synth Pop | Avg: 6.43 | Favorite Song: "Slowdown Sundown" Arc of a Diver was a pleasant surprise—nothing mindblowing, but definitely an enjoyable listen from start to finish. There’s a laid-back groove running through the whole record that just sits nicely in the ears. It’s warm, clean, and totally unbothered by flashiness. The production is smooth in that early-’80s soft rock way, and while it doesn’t reinvent anything, it does a good job of staying in its lane and doing that sound well. As a reviewer, I’d say this is one of those albums that succeeds by keeping things simple. The songwriting isn’t particularly bold, and the pacing doesn’t shift much, but that consistency kind of becomes its strength. It’s not an album I’d rave about, but I wouldn’t skip it either. It fills a niche—relaxed, pleasant, musically competent, and good for setting a mellow mood. Not essential, but definitely worth a spin.

Need to listen to this again - think it could well grow on me.

I know it's not really fair to slight him for going solo at exactly the wrong moment musically (i.e. the synth-drenched early 80s), I *do* feel like poor Steve Winwood could have done so much better than this near-easy-listening album. I give him credit for performing all of the instruments on the album, but also fault him for this, given how few artists pull this off well (in fact, Prince and Trent Reznor are the only ones who come to mind). But at least it's not a particularly long album, and it was somewhat entertaining to see the awkward video of glowing pyramids and gymnastic tumblers for "While you see a chance". The rest of the lot is *very* forgettable, sadly, although I kept thinking how much he sounds like Phil Collins.

As soon as it started, I remembered why I don't care for Steve Winwood, but I'll give it to him: this album was remarkably consistent and those who like him probably really like this album.

A few songs were nostalgic but otherwise nothing to write home about.

2.5 stars

Good dad rock.

Elegant und eigenwillig: Winwood spielt alles selbst, doch die glatte Produktion nimmt dem Album etwas Seele. „While You See a Chance“ glänzt, der Rest bleibt brav. Für Synthpop-Fans ein solider Hörer – aber kein Gipfelsturm.

2.75

Soft yacht rock that might work for some, but for me it's mostly a snoozefest. Definitely has a Jimmy Buffett vibe, like it feels like I should be listening to this thing sitting on a boat or a beach somewhere... idk. Steve is undoubtedly a great musician though. Album is produced with a fine polish, the instrumentals are well done and inoffensively performed. The synths come off as cliche as someone listening in 2025 ("hey everyone! it's the 80s!!")

Steve Winwood is talented. I consider myself a fan. These songs are enjoyable enough. But nothing that would make this album a must listen to.

This sounded shockingly like Peter Gabriel. I expected higher love to show up. Not badly done but not foundational.

This album is much better in a car on a highway with the windows down than it is being the first thing you listen to in the morning. Cool album cover. Good compositions. I have some trouble with the very 1980s sound. The opening track is great, the rest were fine.

Classic Steve winwood! Never heard this album before but it wasn't bad kinda just another 80s album lol

All songs seem similar to each other - but the vibe was cool, so I didn’t mind

This wasn't too shabby. Like yeah, it's corny and it's a tad bit cheesy but it ain't bad. It's got a certain charm that I guess most people on here don't care for. I was really expecting worst than I got. The title track was a vibe and the first half of the album clears. Not great but definitely not bad. Top 3 (in order): Arc Of A Diver, While You See A Chance, and Second-Hand Woman 3.25-3.50/5

6/10

It didn't particularly engage me and I would have liked more variation between the songs. Despite this, I think it's cool that Steve Winwood played all the instruments and I don't dislike any of the songs, it's just not what I'd usually listen to. I might revisit this album in the future.

Nothing too special but definitely 80s style in essence, where’s Valerie? The one song I know by him. Shelly thought he was Phil Collins.

Oh well - one of the many records in this book that don't mean much to me.

A nice classic rock album but it didn’t really bring a whole lot new to the table

Jeez this wasn’t great either. When you see a chance is a classic but after that it’s another ballless record. Thin and corny. Steve winwood has some great songs and was in traffic and all that but this record is just generic.

not for me

Winwood brings in a lot is synths here. Wow. I think the opening track is a solid synth pop song that clearly influenced a lot of synth stuff that came throughout the decade. You can hear that on a lot of songs throughout, but other than the first song and the title track I’m not sure this is a particularly good album for my tastes. I think one issue for my own preferences is that the songs were quite long (5 to 7 minutes) and the synth-ness of it all sometimes felt like it was droning on.

Meu sentimento misto em relação a este disco pode ser resumido pela impressão extremamente positiva sobre a faixa de abertura (While You See A Chance), um tema quase épico muito bem explorado pelas texturas de teclados e pelo vocal de Winwood e pela decepção com o encerramento melancólico com a brega "Dust". Tem bons momentos propiciados pelas partes de guitarras, como em "Night Train", um tema ancorado por bateria eletrônica que é salvo pelas guitarras. Também não gosto quando o disco descamba para os momentos funk/soul. Um saldo positivo, gerando um resultado satisfatório.

I was quite pleased for Steve to have some decently big-time commercial and Top 40 success after years of being critically acclaimed but with low record sales for the Spencer Davis Group, Traffic, and Blind Faith. He’s always been a very underrated guitarist, so was excited to hear he played all the instruments on this album, but there’s not much guitar work, or what is there is pretty bland. The songs are fine and are fun to sing along to on the radio (we heard him often driving to and from Elizabeth’s radiation therapy), but this is all just so-so, especially compared to his work in the other bands. There are two Traffic albums on the 1,001 list and I don’t believe we’ve hit either one yet. Both are great. This compilation album is fabulous but is not on streaming services (that I can see). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winwood_(album)

1980 me kind of hated this. 2025 me really loves this. The perfect 80s pop sound, Steve Winwood's iconic voice, his knack for melody. Bonus that he plays all the instruments, cool and impressive. "While You See a Chance" is like a time machine, and "Night Train" is a fantastic deep cut, killer guitar solo on top of that cheesy yacht-funk that you couldn't get away from in the early eighties. (Hoping to have coined the term yacht-funk 🤠

Meh.

Nice and easy listen

I rounded the Paul Simon album before this up so I’m rounding this one down. Not bad if you like synth.

Very good

aww

Not my jam. Not bad, but not what I would choose to listen to.

This is not normally my type of music but boy did I have a fun time listening. Is this yacht rock or maybe it’s with pop? Steve is an impressive musician and I really enjoyed the synths and the bass in these songs. I don’t think I will be going back to this frequently I feel like this would be better as background music but I’m glad I checked this out about. It starts out strong but the back half is less fulfilling. Standouts: While You See a Chance, Arc of a Diver, Night Train

Chill lil album. Yacht rock type. Lots of synths. Chill all around 3/5

This was an enjoyable listen. Some of the songs went on for a while but I still enjoyed listening to this. It’s not quite a 4 but it’s still nice

Helt ok 80-tals pop. Lite Peter Gabriel-esque. Ingen riktigt bra låt dock. Spanish dancer är nog bäst, men när inte till skyarna.

Glättigt, plastiga produktioner, kokainstint och allmänt väldigt mycket åttiotal - what’s not to like och i synnerhet när det tydligen är yacht rock det handlar om, onekligen ett väldigt bra namn på en genre jag inte visste fanns. Stark trea!

An interesting transition between Traffic and his later work.

Nice album

It found a lane after a few tracks...into something akin to Peter Gabriel but lacking the raw magic.

Straight away I'm watching a science show from the 80s

Hmm not sure what to do with this one. I heard some inkling of sonic the hedgehog in the album opener and some wave race 64 in another. The synths and key work are interesting. Reminds my broken gamer brain of things that make it go. But I dont know. I didn't vibe all that well with it. Kinda too poppy and edge less. But still a decent time.

Steve Winwood has such an awesome, distinct voice, and this makes for some easy, casual listening, but it's too easy on this album. Nothing really stands about in the same way that Valerie and Higher Love do.

Pretty smooth and soft, hard to be offended by. Unfortunately for me it also just didn't demand my attention much, so it ended up being quite forgettable Standouts While You See A Chance Night Train 3/5

Very "pop"-y with good synth and instrumentals. Nothing remarkable but not bad. Favourite Song: Arc of A Diver

I like the synthesizer as much as the next fella, especially being a kid who grew up in the 1980s, but Steve Winwood uses it WAY too much on this album. So much so, that some songs feel a bit cringy at times when he has a synth stinging note here and there. Yes, we get it, you played all of the instruments, but it's okay to not bring the synthesizer into the recording studio for each and every song.

Not bad actually. What I expect from Steve Winwood only having ever heard his 80's radio hits. Would listen again if it came across my radar.

I did not connect with it

If you're wondering what year this is made, you'll know just as soon as the intro synth solo (a minimoog, Wikipedia tells me) begins. You might think this is some slick 80's pop-rock in the mold of Billy Joel or Huey Lewis (and it's not not that, as the kids say) but Winwood at this point in his career has been going for 17 years. He got his start in the Spencer Davis Group in 1963 (with his improbably-named brother, Muff). That feeling during While You See A Chance that you should be watching a hero train for a movie's climax via a montage is no coincidence: that's a mainstay of 80's album rock and this is a prime example. There are strains here of Phil Collins and Peter Gabriel and Winwood's credit of playing every instrument on the album is absolutely no discredit to the quality of all the work. It's also not over-produced in the way that big-name 80's records typically are. There are elements that sound a bit cheesy today (the bass tone and the synth fills are borderline silly), but I think it manages to remain earnest, if a bit overly-so. A guy did this whole thing on his own and did remarkably well at each part. Winwood's self-harmonizing is lovely, his drumming is more than serviceable and his guitar playing is rightfully famous (if chiefly among guitar players). A+ on all the technical aspects of the album, A- on the diversity (Second-Hand Woman's intro is a straight up late-disco banger) and a B on the songwriting. Like most of the 80's, this is the sound of precisely-executed excess: technically masterful, highly skillful, emotionally bereft in most places. How does it sound both earnest and flat, you might ask? That's the magic of three to seven layers of synth on every song. I think it means something to Winwood, but I don't think it means anything to me. Must you listen to this? No, it won't change your life. Should you listen to this record? Absolutely, especially if you want to hear what "multi-instrumentalist" really means, or you'd like to know what the mainstream white dudes of the 80's sounded like (and maybe why they sounded like that).

Very much a jam album. Easy listening, pleasant.

Fine

It's alright. The instrumentals are really well done, but the songs lack strong direction to be replayable. Its great for passive listening

3.5

It was okay. I recognized one song.

Something happened in the year 1980 for the late 60s early 70s vituoso musicians. They were left with a choice to either embrace the new sound of synths and electronic sounding music or not. Some did, some didn't. I enjoy those who went for it, but stuck to thier roots. This album encapsulates that phenomenon pretty well and reminds me of Jerry Garcia Band at Kean College 1980 with the synthy keyboards throughout. That being said, there are certainly some duds on this album too. It settles into a 6/10 spot for me becuase I love Winwood and anything he has touched.

It's not terrible. It lands somewhere among Genesis, Steely Dan and almost everybody else who made a record in 1980.

Alright

Фоном слушать можно, но если вслушиваться - заунывно и ничего особенного. Серый альбом, ничем не примечательный. 5,5 из 10.

Classic Windwood.

Nice but it sort of all sounded the same.

He sounds like the third member of Hall & Oates, which is fun in a dated, corny way

Heavy pitch wheel work on this bad boy. Love little Stevie

2.8 Slightly redeemed itself with the Spanish Dancer and Night Train songs. Before that felt a bit drab. Like an unfun Steely Dan. Don't care much for the Clapton-esque stuff, hasn't aged great with the 80s clearly shining through.

Around half of the albums I have gotten so far have been some multi-instrumental white guy making an orchestral pop/rock album. Truly the coleslaw of music

I feel like this is what suburban families played at dinner parties in the 80s. Just some 80s noise to have on in the background.

one banger

Very cheesy 80s pop, exactly what I would expect. I enjoyed it, easy listening and a nice time

Arc Of A Diver isn't really an album i have much to say about. All this album really is is just your standard, typical 80s pop rock album that has been done so many times. I guess this wasn't really overdone at the time since this album came out pretty early in the 80s (in fact, it was the first year of that decade) but it still does not change the fact that this album just isn't one that's gonna stick in my mind which is a shame since the one i did yesterday of a similar genre did so much to help itself stand out from the rest of the pack while this one just doesn't. I can't hate this one because the musicianship is pretty solid but it doesn't change the fact i can't rank this one any higher than a 2.5. Best Song: Slowdown Sundown Worst Song: Spanish Dancer

I feel like albums like this just treated a bit harshly on here. Look, I get it, the album’s pretty dated and soft yacht rock with synth is definitely not everyone’s cup of tea. But there’s still charm in this album coming from the “Higher Love” guy. (Please tell me I’m not the only one who only knew Steve Winwood for that song). That being said, Arc of a Diver suffers from two problems: the songs run a little too long and they lack variety. Because of this, the album feels like it drags, which is impressive considering that this is only 40 minutes. It’s one of those albums that you can take one or two songs from instead of going through the whole album. Regardless, it’s just really background noise that tries to be Peter Gabriel. Not terrible, but not particularly great. Favorite track: While You See A Chance Other hits: Night Train, Spanish Dancer, Second-Hand Woman

Strongly resembles its time, but still a lot of fun.

I was surprised that Winwood could do all of the instruments for this album; I normally think of him as a keyboardist. Album starts off strong with "While You See A Chance," although I never liked how long the intro was before the big keyboard lick comes in. I guess my biggest thing is that a lot of the songs try to groove like the first track, but the lyrics are lacking. Songs like "Second-Hand Woman," "Slowdown Sundown" (Sunrise, a woman's eyes. Really?) and "Dust" (A feather duster's no substitute for the real thing. What?) So in the end, it was okay, but it wasn't enough to me go "wow." The lyrics and same-y production for each song kinda bored me. "Night Train" was pretty cool, though. I am glad there is an instrumental version of that available. Top tracks: "When You See A Chance," "Night Train"

I looked at what Winwood songs are on this album and the only one I knew was While You See a Chance. And I thought great, I like that song. But then it started and I remembered how synth-heavy and 80's it sounds. I still like it, but it is cheesy. And that's the best way to describe this album's sound - cheesy. So why is it worth listening to? I'm not sure. Steve Winwood was just a teenager when he started in the mid 60's and he became a legend in in the Spencer Davis Group and Traffic. This doesn't have the same depth. He played all the instruments so kudos there. But for a guy known for blue-eyed soul, this album is lacking a bit of soul. I just don't see myself coming back to it - I'll stick to his greatest hits.