Reviews (page 5 of 8)
I liked a few songs here , a good listen generally but gets repetitive and does not carve a unique space in my head
Tää levy oli vähän ajanhukkaa mulle… Ihan kivat kasarisyntikat kyllä koko ajan.
Sovitus, instrumentaatio, tuotanto... huh. Tästä kaikesta huolimatta levyllä on selviä merkkejä, jos ei inspiraatiosta, niin ainakin innoituksesta, ja kuuntelukokemus on ihan tyydyttävä, kun ottaa huomioon, miten heiveröinen yhtye Traffic oli. 2,5
The sound of Peter Gabriel taking a wrong turn
Whatever McForgettable Face
Fun, but not very memorable
It wasn't until the 5th track that I realized this actually wasn't Stevie Wonder and I could stop wondering why it is so... flat. Like asking an AI to generate some 80s flavored human music.
Pretty good
It's surprisingly nice, songs are very diverse throughout the entire album.
It's a warm album, but I'm unsure if I can say anything more about it. Easy to listen, but I'm unsure if lovable.
title track is real good. need to revisit
loved the cover and loved the songs just as much!
This album is just oozing 80's cheese and I am not going to lie I kind of love it. It's extremely synthy and would not feel out of place in the background of a montage. I kinda had a feeling I was going to be hooked in the first 10 seconds or so and I was right.
I had only listened to the back in the high life album from Steve so wood. This didn’t have as many catchy singles, but still a solid album.
I just do not get along with the 80s. There's nothing terrible here, but it just feels like they forgot how to make good music for a decade.
Not bad. Yacht rock transition....
Points to Steve for playing all the instruments himself, but this is absolutely not for me. The whole thing feels mediocre and soulless, and like the kind of thing only the yuppies were excited about when it was released. I guarantee you nobody is thinking about this album anymore (except when this project forces it on them) and I'd be shocked if it's sold a single copy in the past 35 years. If you want music from someone who could do it all, go listen to NIN or Prince or anyone else but this dude.
Synthesizer extravaganza from a sappy emotional dude.
Nothing much here to inspire. It's fine.
While You See a Chance and Arc of a Diver are 5/5, the rest are solid. 4/5
Reminds me of Phil Collins. Not really my thing.
For all the nice orchestration it still sounds like lightweight jazz pop filler.
This is jammier than a good piece of toast. You can tell he’s on the way to the big hits with this one
This album feels like a transitional plane between the 70s and 80s. It was rad
Enjoyable listen, nothing stand out-ish but has a calm, Phil Collins vibe. It was an album I enjoyed finishing, and far from a task like others on this journey, but I wasn’t replaying songs. 6.5/10.
Couple Winwood wins but most the tracks fell flat.
A lovely Pop record full with 80s vibes
I only really know Steve Winwood because of Higher Love and, while these were ok, none hit the same lofty heights as that absolute banger
Not bad Steve. Simpsons: No
Had to listen twice as the first listen sent me to sleep.
This was an ok album, it wasn't anything to shout home about but it was easy to listen to
I just found this kind of boring. I had no problem with it but it just felt like it wasn’t doing anything interesting or worth talking about
J'trouve qu'il y a pas mal trop de haters dans les commentaires pour un album aussi innocent que ça. Bah, c'est vrai qu'il y a pas grand chance que j'y retouche de ci-tôt, mais quand même, vous y allez fort
3.5
2.5
Two songs really stand out for me. Of course "While You See a Chance", which is a top five Winwood solo track for me, and "Slowdown Sundown" the rest is pretty typical, run of the mill, 80s MOR pop rock, and this for the most part doesn't really stand out from the pack than say, Christopher Cross' debut. I find it odd that this made it over Back In The High Life or Roll With It which were not only more popular, but overall better listens, or even Take Back The Night which has "Valery" probably my top pick of his solo songs. (As a whole, though, I'd lean more towards Roll With It) this is a fine album, but for this list a bit underwhelming (7.55) ★★★½
Very early 80s sounding. Strong voice, but a bit boring. 3 stars
"While You See a Chance" is great, but most of the rest veers too far into adult contemporary/sophistipop for me. 3 stars.
3.5
Not a belly flop at all and also not anywhere near a 10 either. Mainly just very good. When You See A Chance is one of the better tunes and opens with some legendarily cheesey Sooty n Sweep synth tones. Second-Hand Woman ramps up the cheesy 80s disco and is a bit of a bop. Night Train has more of a steelier, hard rock vibe with mean lengthy Claptonesque guitar solos. Title track is cowritten with Bonzo Dog stalwart Vivian Stanshall not that it makes a big difference because the tune itself is so so. Light 4 overall.
Weird mix of post disco and early 80s synths. I’m good.
Weak. Pleasant enough but wishy washy.
A little cheesy, but it has good synth parts at times. Pretty typical 80's music. Mid 3.
Not sure about this one. Per Yoda, difficult to see. I'm going with 3.
I guess this must have been quite the thing in 1980. Because I knew and loved Higher Ground in real time, that’s my threshold for SW - I guess I’m spoiled a little..
This has been copy-pasted to my subconscious as a rare instance of an album staying on for most of the day, eternal repeat. The opener immediately made me happy as a hit from early childhood long-forgotten but immediately pleasing; the rest feels like an idealised middle-age soundtrack, which suits me. And he did the lot! A note on the lyrics: yesterday I slagged off Chris Martin’s flimsy big vibes style, but while this shares Coldplay’s aversion to actual life detail, Winwood comes off more as a hippy friend trying to cheer you up rather than Bono.
I did enjoy listening to this, although couldn't really remember much about it afterwards. He played everything on the record, apparently, just like another Stevie W. Quite good, quite short, quite Peter Gabriel in parts
Rakastajamies, rakastelija. Tämä mies osaa rakastaa. This man oozes sexuality. Raw sex power... Kun alkaa laulaa niin sexjumala tulee esiin. Todistan! Winwood witnesses... Mooses jakoi punaisenmeren, Winwood voi halkaista persläpeni kahtia ja sanon KIITOS KIITOS KIITOS! vittu pane mua vittu pane mua VITTU PANE MUA VITTU PANE MUAA A VITTTTTUUU!!!(imposs for me to satisfy Winwood probably...) ja albumi on suhteellisen paska btw. night train
The worst yacht truck has to offer.
Classic winwood
Good cheese
Heard some of Steve's songs before (thank you for your accidental contribution to electronic music). This album is quite boring though. It's like somebody tried recreating Peter Gabriel's music from memory 2/5
Another review calles this "normcore" and I've never felt so seen. The cheesiest 80s cheese to ever cheese. 4 stars.
the fact he played every instrument is insane. super cheesy in places but also super groovy
Good but not overly memorable album. I got massive Phil Collins vibes from it throughout.
Music so cheesy I'm going to have the aftertaste for days, and so uncool it's probably responsible for global warming.
it was a synthesizer time
Listened Before?N Pretty impressive work of 80s pop - considering he played all instruments on the entire album. Cool stuff. Not really my style but neat anyway. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: While You See A Chance
Kind of fun but painfully dated
That was pretty much what I expected: well-produced, nauseatingly 80s, kind of lame. The one unexpected factor was that I kinda liked it. You do you Steve. Best song: Arc of a Diver
Really solid album. Still in my occasional rotation.
Its a good album but nothing great. He is just a really good musician that no matter what he records is just good.
This feels like it should be the music for like, the tourism board of a Disney World knock off in like. Mississippi. Like it feels familiar, but it’s not the same. In fact it fucking sucks.
If someone played me this and I didn't know better I'd say it was a bootleg recording of a wedding where the band didn't show up so one of the guests, Pete Townsend, got a casiotone from his car and played a bunch of corny love songs
Yacht rock that is pretty decent.
I have never heard of this person. This is some adult contemporary yacht rock shit. Not my thing. Some tracks have some funky instrumentation (disco on Second-Hand Woman, soul/folk on Slowdown Sundown, bass line on Night Train) but the weird 80s synth and wailing vocals ruin it for me. The second half of the album is definitely stronger, but if we’re judging it on first impressions I probably would have switched off.
Fav: Spanish Dancer Least Fav: Slowdown Sundown I’m seeing some comparisons to Phil Collins, but come on guys this is better than any of his solo work
Расслабляющая, занимательная музыка, переносящая в лето. Представляю себя этим дайвером.
Bland
Very good
First track is the well known one, but after hat it just didn't seem to go anywhere. He's a talented musician with a good reputation, surely this can't be his best work? 2
Electric gazoo boogaloo. Being called a ‘Second Hand Woman’ can’t be very flattering. I bet he was a hit with the ladies. All very dated, but weirdly enjoyable in a funky groovy 1970s American Cop Movie soundtrack kind of way. ‘Night Train’ the standout for the great guitar work.
Tedious.
A lot of really gross sounds
If cheesy yacht rock isn't cool, then I'll stay a dork. I think the title track is the best, but it's so impressive that he wrote, produced, and played everything. Pretty enjoyable overall.
Did very little for me. Some of the tunes were catchy, but only in an 80’s sitcom theme song sort of way. Not something I’ll try to listen to again.
It’s like a cold and sterile version of a Van Morison album. Synth tones are boring and plastered everywhere. Like a lawyer blues band in a restaurant while you’re trying to eat. Yuck
This was so 80's cheese that I was waiting for an episode of Family Ties to start playing. 3/10. Could be fun in the right mood.
First? 2,5/5 Again? 1,5/5
Yes this album is corny, unfortunately corn is delicious especially when you but some smooth synth butter and some rock n roll salt This white boy can, in fact play that funky music. Extremely well at that.
Not for me
Groovy, melodic, well-produed, diverse and just plain amazing! Steve Winwood is frighteningly underrated, and it's a crime that this is his only solo record on here. I am now going to listen to his whole discography as a protest against everyone hating on this gem (and not at all because I was looking for an excuse to listen through Steve Winwoods entire discography).
Wow this was bad
Started out strong with While You See A Chance but then it fell off
It had a touch of Phil Collins about it
i adore the cover of this album but there is an 80s schmaltz element to some of these songs that i don't love...
Gibt echt nicht viel Ist n netter listen 👂👂 mehr Credit gibts nicht
This album had some good elements that I enjoyed, especially the Synthpop influence, which gives it a mix of New Wave and Prog Rock while also feeling quite soulful. It’s impressive that Steve Winwood played all the instruments and produced the album himself. While I liked certain aspects, I don’t see myself going back to it often.
Yacht-rocky to say the least, but tuneful, surprisingly sophisticated, and on the whole quite enjoyable.
1.5
HUGE traffic fan so i'll give it some extra love. This was very ok - good background music, i guess?
Bastante fun, como estar en una sitcom de los 80s.
I forgot how strong the opening track is both musically and lyrically, I really dig that song. While “Night Train” rolls on just a bit too long, the guitar work at the end is pretty decent. Sadly, the rest of the album falls flat and is largely forgettable. Props for being a true “solo album” as he wrote, produced, and played all the instruments himself.
Outside of the opening track, the rest of this album is still caught up in 70s cheesy soft rock that is boring with songs that are way too long and drawn out. I never liked Winwood and was always a hard fast dial turn away whenever his stuff came on the radio or MTV. Even though I can appreciate the level of talent here given he played every instrument and engineered…and produced, I still don’t like it.
Wait, are we getting multiple Winwood records on this?
This sounds like a late 80s sitcom. Soft rock is blasphemy
Adult alternative soft rock bullshit. How we gonna get Steve Winwood and not Higher Love which I presume is his one and only decent song? 1.75/5
Mid-80s to a T and the first two tracks are pretty good. After that it's like a Bryan Ferry solo album when the musicianship, textures and production are all top-notch and cover up for the lack of top-quality tunes. Also each track probably a minute too long. 2.5
I'm rating based on the strength of the first two songs, the rest was just pleasant background music.
Fine. Whatever.
Solid, first song is great 3.5
None of the content of these songs really reached me because the shell of genre ricochetted off of me first. Neither liked nor disliked. A perfectly pasteurized collection of songs. This is probably a 2.5 but I round up unless I'm actively pissed off at the album. (aside: I spelled ricochetted and pasteurized correctly on the first try. I would have bet money against that)
This was pleasant to listen to, although kind of bland as well. Classic 3 stars, didn’t make me annoyed enough to skip, but didn’t really catch my attention either.
Wow - this was much worse than I expected. Really hasn’t aged well. Everything just screams early 80s - production, instruments, etc. Yikes. Won’t be back to hear more, which is too bad because I know Winwood is a good musician.
Nope, I couldn't really listen to more than the first song or two. Not my thing.
The soundtrack to the dentist’s waiting room. Dated and boring.
Came in with no expectarion and I really liked it, very well executed 80s pop, good synth and quite funky.
Classic 80’s sound, budget Peter Gabriel.
***A good album.
Eee ovo isto slušamo na ploči, što je dosta kul 😊 slatki album, malo nostalgičan, malo 80s, malo ljubavni, svega ima. 3/5, 6.5/10
2 albuma za redom slušana s ploče. Jebeno. Dakle, na ovaj album sam naletio na nekom buvljaku. Kopao sam po kutiji s pločama i naletim na nju. 5 eura, ok stanje, ne znam album, ali znam da je Steve svirao klavijature Jimmy Hendrixu (između ostalih). U biti možda nije svirao, nego mu je pomagao s produkcijom. Ugl, očekivao sam nekakvo old skul peglanje Dođem doma putim album i skuzim da sam kupio album za Miu, a ne za sebe. Bio sam malo razočaran i nisam slušao taj album više, do jučer Na drugo slušanje mi je baš dobro sjeo. I dalje je to previše 80s za moj ukus, ali uopće nije loše. Samo zbog priče, ide 4. Da nije nje, bila bi trojka. Vjerojatno je ovo jedan od onih albuma kojem treba više slušanja da ti sjedne
Super cheesy eighties stuff; this doesn't hold up. Steve Winwood's voice is another of those which, although a decent voice, is one that doesn't work for me.
I'm a fan of Steve's work in Traffic and Blind Faith. I like this a lot too. The fact he plays every instrument on this album showcases what a major talent he is. Steve Winwood is so good that whatever he decides to play, I'm along for the ride.
no strong feelings
nothing deep or challenging about this blue-eyed soul/yacht rock/pop/whatever album but nothing that i'm particularly mad about, other than all but one song being over 5 minutes long!!!! grrrrrr!!!!!!!! jk this album isn't even worth the effort of getting mad, it's just so milquetoast. favorites: while you see a chance, arc of a diver, night train
Liked this more than I thought I would! I feel it's a solid 3.5, pretty nice.
Day 23: Arc of a Driver - Steve Winwood. Steve Winwood album 1/1. On the surface, it's an inoffensive pop rock (or, as a lot of people call it *gag* yacht rock) album. However, I cannot help, but absolutely love it. A lot of pop rock music from the late-1970's and early-1980's has this type of feel to it where it feels very simple, but it's unbelievably enjoyable. I like the jazzy elements in this album. I like the melodies of the songs. This album reminds me of the works of Phil Collins and Peter Gabriel, and I LOVE both of those artists very much. This is such a smooth and enjoyable album. Unfortunately, I wouldn't really consider this album to be an essential listen. This album would probably not impact anybody who doesn't already love the type of music that is played in this album. I'd replace it with a Phil Collins solo album. I find it crazy that there isn't a single Phil Collins solo album among the 1,089 albums in the generator. Personal Enjoyment: 5/5. How Much It Belongs Here: 3/5.
272/1001 🌕🌕🌑🌑🌑
it was really well played. Singing style not what I am into but good none the less 3-3.5
Klingt wie generischer happy Phil Collins mit Nintendo Synthezisern. Wenn ichs nicht gehört hätte hätte ich nix verpasst.
I liked this album fine, especially the first couple tracks. But to me it was just a sort of cheesy distillation of a lot of stuff that already exists or that is just better. Phil Collins, Billy Joel, Huey Lewis, the list goes on of more interesting people in a similar genre. Some good songs and moments, but just fell short of what I'd want from this list.
Arc Of A Driver seems to start on a high note, and then kind of settles down afterwards. It’s very heavy on the synth, which at times is fun, and other times it gets pretty cheesy. Regardless of cheese, there’s definitely a lot of talent on display. Overall, it was okay, but I wasn’t feeling it much. Maybe it deserves another visit.
Good, but not great or excellent. "Arc Of A Diver" starts really good but at some point it lose the direction, what makes with the musics looks forgettable. Still, Winwood are a great artist but thls album is not a great thing on his career.
Track 1 is really good. Synth sounds sound like something that would come on a very inexpensive toy keyboard. Some decent moments. Not a favorite. 2.5 rounded up because of track 1
An affront to the 1001 albums list that this was included. It couldn’t sound more 80s bland if it tried.
I don't think it's possible to find an album that sounds more 80's than this... Which is impressive considering how early in the decade it was. I imagine the conversation with the producer went something like this... How much Moog are you gonna add on the album Steve? Steve: Yes
Bollocks
Idk why everyone is nasty about this album, there is a lot of good on here. Funky, disco, tight beat. Ostentatious coke-fueled 80s vibe. What's not to love.
Nope
This is just the third artist on this list so far that I’ve had the pleasure of seeing live in concert. Steve Winwood opened for Tom Petty in the Saddledome back in 2008, and I’m still genuinely not sure who put on a better performance, both were phenomenal. But I’m not here to review live shows, I’m here to review this particular album, Arc Of A Diver. This is a soft yacht rock record that I really enjoyed listening to. Steve Winwoods voice is smooth, slightly soulful, and very pleasant. The songwriting is insightful and shows a clear talent. Musically it’s exceptional, my favourite aspect in that regard is the organ that’s played throughout. There are moments of funk that keep popping up all throughout this record, but there’s moments where it feels like you’re in a disco in 1977, and others where you’re sitting in a lighthouse staring out at the ocean. It’s a really cool fusion of styles and feelings. My only complaint about this record is that it doesn’t contain the song “Higher Love”. Aside from that, it’s truly excellent. 5*.
What do you even call this? Easy listening? Adult contemporary? Blue-eyed soul? Yacht pop? Whatever it is, it’s delicious and I want more of it. I was pretty much sold on this album from the moment the synths come in about 30 seconds in to the opening track, and the remainder of the album did not disappoint. The vibes are immaculate. Listening to this album I imagine myself lounging wealthily in the kind spacious beachside 80s home in Miami or Southern California where the interior is all white with lots of glass blocks. The first two tracks, “When You See a Chance”, and “Arc of a Diver”, are both just so good. I love the shimmery vaguely exotic tune of “Spanish Dancer”. “Dust” is the track on the album which best showcases Steve’s vocal talent. Throughout the album, the lyrics have a particular mystique and sophistication. Musically this album takes so many small, unexpected twists and turns without ever veering from its lovely distinct sound. I’m impressed but unsurprised to learn that Steve was solely responsible for producing the album and playing *all* of the instruments. It sounds like one person’s clear vision, beautifully executed. I listened to this album twice before writing my review and it will definitely continue to get lots of rotation in the future. This is the best totally new discovery from this project for me so far. 10/10
Electronic Yacht Rock is not something I expected to hear today but I'm absolutely loving it. My only real critiques are that it feels a bit surface level and derivative of Genesis/Peter Gabriel/Phil Collins, and there aren't enough true bangers aside from While You See a Chance and Night Train IMO. Also all I could here during the title track was Lose Yourself to Dance by Daft Punk, which was distracting.
This is terrible. I loved every minute of it. Favorite songs were While You See A Chance and Night Train
very nice pace very chilled nice
A little dated but had lots of fun with this
Solid
8/10. Over the past few days, I've been getting into Peter Gabriel's music, and this album felt very reminiscent of it. I enjoyed it very much. I'm feeling a 4/5, but I have a feeling inside me that I'm going to regret not giving it a 5/5 later on. Perhaps I will regret giving it a 5/5 instead of a 4/5. Whatever, 5/5 it is. It's New Years Day, and I'm exhausted.
The album title is the best thing about the album. Rest is very bland sub Phil Collins 80's pfaf.
Arc of Diver Big ‘Today on Pebble Mill we’ll be interviewing Birmingham’s busiest Postman!’ with While You See a Chance. Steve Winwood has a genuinely interesting career and I like a lot of his stuff, and I am very partial to a bit of easily palatable soul inflected AOR/pop, but I wasn’t entirely convinced by this one, at least on first listen. The songs themselves are fine, if a little unmemorable, but the synths are pretty intrusive, on occasion sounding unintentionally amusing, and the whole thing sounds quite strangely mixed - a lot of the keyboards and guitars as well as the synths are way too prominent in the mix and can feel quite jarring. It did grow on me on repeat listens though, I actually liked some of the songs, and the sound beneath the unbalanced mixing. While You See a Chance is a nice song, I really liked Second Hand Woman, a great bit of uptempo disco influenced pop-soul, Slowdown Sundown has nice Traffic like energy and feel, and Spanish Dancer is actually an excellent bit of slow burning bit of soulful rock-pop. It does definitely tail off after Spanish Dancer, but overall I found this pretty enjoyable if a bit patchy. If you want a nice bit of plasticy sounding adult pop there are probably some more consistent places to look, but this is a solid album. I would definitely listen again, but I not actively seek it out. Square in the 3s then. 🥽🥽🥽 Playlist submission: Spanish Dancer
The sort of album that you look back on affectionately because the songs are associated with an 80s movie you really like. Except, here there is no movie. And the album is left floundering in the sea of forgettable could-have-been-soundtracks. Basically this needed to be a soundtrack to make it better. But While You See a Chance is superb. And there's some decent passages here and there.
4.1 - Enjoyed this a lot
Some interesting chill yacht rock vibes here at first, but it all becomes quite sedentary quite quickly. 3.1/5
excellent album
'Meh.
Steve Windwood songs are either Great!..or just meh. hit great tunes hit hard and this other stuff just melds together and sounds the same. This album has a like 2 great songs but overall i respect the man and his work.
I'm sure this was groundbreaking at the time, but it's a worse version of huey lewis/peter gabriel/paul simon. Spanish dancer sounds like an SNL skit.
1.57
I really wanted to like this more than I did. I don't mind the 80s production, and bits of it are excellent, but overall, it's just a bit average.
Own this.
nothing groundbreaking and pretty much predictable. (3.0/5.0)
So, considering what was going on in the post-punk era of the late 70s and the early 80s this is quite a dull and plodding album, and I don't think it has stood the test of time. It all seems a bit bland AOR. It's not offensive, but it comes across as a bit soul-less - maybe because it was all played by Winwood as overdubs. I liked the LP sleeve design.
Hmmm Can’t decide if those synth tones have aged in a good way or not.
Genesis-achtige jarentachtigpop die weinig buiten de lijntjes kleurt. Leuk gedaan hoor, maar weinig viel op.
Een heel sterk jaren '80 geluid. Het heeft iets van de Genesis-nummers van die tijd, maar dan veel minder krachtig. Goed uitgevoerd; het heeft zeker kwaliteit. Maar tegelijk heeft het niets waardoor je het nog eens wilt luisteren. Volgende week ben ik het plaatje wel weer vergeten, denk ik.
Steve Winwood is in principe een oude gitaarheld, zoals hij bijv speelde in Traffic en in Blind Faith, samen met Clapton. Maar dit zijn de 80s, heeft hij zijn gitaar ingeruild en probeert hij het liefst alle speeltjes uit de studio uit. Alle synthesizers komen zo ongeveer wel voorbij. Met het openingsnummer is wel gelijk het bekendste nummer geweest. Het kabbelt nog wel een beetje door met die typische jaren 80 uptempo muziek. Gelukkig is op de achtergrond nog wel het jazzy en bluesy basslijntje, wat me doet denken aan Steely Dan enzo. Daar was hij dan weer niet bij betrokken geloof ik. Ik vind het niet heel slecht of vervelend, maar de jaren 80 saus is er iets teveel overheen gegoten. Ik proef het hoofdgerecht nog maar amper. Als je het vergelijkt met de standaard 80s muziek, dan is dit wel iets muzikaler. Maar als ik het vergelijk met Trafic of Blind Faith, dan is dit me veel te jaren 80 neppigheid. Op het eind overheerst dat het gedrenkt is in de jaren 80 iets teveel, dus zit ik op een magere 3.
Poor
Not much to say about this one. It was fine, decent background music for a department store.
Steve Winwood really likes that synthesizer sound that he had on "While You See a Chance," doesn't he? It is very impressive that Winwood played all of these instruments himself. He's got talent, that's not ever been the question. While You See a Chance, Arc of a Diver, Slowdown-Sundown, Spanish Dancer and Night Train are all pretty good songs. Like many of Winwood's songs, and I include the big hits like Roll With It and Back in the High Life Again, they are just really too long. I'm not asking him to do a 2:30 second version of Night Train, but did it have to be almost 8 minutes long? I have no issues with longer songs but they need to justify their existence, and frankly, these songs are good but not good enough for extended jams. I understand with their being only 7 songs on the album then it would be at a 28 minute run time if some of the fat was cut...but is that a reason to extend them out? I say, "No." I am more prone to enjoying yacht rock than most people but I don't even know if I consider this to be yacht rock. Not too many yacht rock songs have Eric Clapton doing an extended guitar solo. I'm glad I listened to the album and I wish I could give it a 3.5.
Easy listening supreme. Nothing objectionable, yet nothing noteworthy.
That keyboard slaps, just making sure it’s Winwood and not a studio musician… Wiki: “Steve Winwood does all vocals and instruments” Well, the production is pretty crisp, I wonder who put it all together… Wiki: “Steve Winwood produced the whole album” I guess fool me twice, since I went through a similar discovery with Traffic’s John Barleycorn album. Enjoyed Arc of a Diver, despite not being as into similar 80s soft rock releases (e.g. The Nightfly). It helps that I *really* enjoy the first track, "While You See a Chance", which was on the radio pretty regularly growing up. The rest of the album is jazzier than I expected- which again, I should have learned from John Barleycorn that Winwood leans towards jazz from time to time. HL: "While You See a Chance", title track, "Second Hand Woman", "Spanish Dancer", "Dust" December 13, 2024
pure 80s cheese
I do like Yacht Rock and this kind of soul but not my cup of tea
Second album in a row I actually own. Hadn't listened to it for some time. Listening to it now showed me that I should listen to it more often.
It was my first time hearing this and I quite liked it, especially the Night Train. Great 80s vibes, nice mix of pop with progressive and really good synths. I’m not the biggest fan of this type of vocals though, sounds so typical for the era, just like Phil Collins or Peter Gabriel. Overall, a perfectly nice 80s album!
Night Train is a jam!
Wunderbar
80s cheese in its purest form (is still 80s cheese).
I like the guy but there's something a bit plastic and cheesy about it which really turns me off.
I remember the eighties. There was; too much Lycra, too much fluoro, and too much electronic instruments.
Meh.
Bit boring
Ye synths! It reeks of 80s tho. So no.
It was impressive to see that he was playing everything, but this did not improve how much I liked it, which was too little. It's generic and soulless, as if a big band of contractor musicians were playing it.
Sophisti-pop is a new music term I learned today. For as familiar as the sounds on this album are to me, especially with the song 'Second-Hand Woman', I struggle to link it to any names at this very moment. Either way, I'm always down for a good little pop album so I dug this. It's filled to the brim with sweet melodies and even sweeter instrumentals - whether funky like on the title track, disco and dance like on 'Night Train', or delicate and soulful like on 'Slowdown Sundown'. Maybe the song that blew me away the most was 'Night Train' which has (ahead-of-its-time) ambient house elements, especially with those hi-hats. But the entire thing also sounds like it could fit very snuggly into a Talking Heads album...It's that white funk. Shiny, bright, and sunny all the way through - the stuff ears are made for. So ear-candy.
Listened 30 secs of each track….wish I hadn’t bothered.
Never listened to Steve Winwood before. Probably won’t listen again. But enjoyed a few of these.
Steve Winwood should be more famous. I'm not going to say he's a british farmer version of Stevie Wonder but.....maybe I am. This is just the kind of music I want playing in my house. The synth sounds are very particular but I really like all the tones and his vibe...he knows what he's doing in the combo of those textures and his vocals...it just sounds good. Even when the songs are a bit long they don't really drag. I also respect a man who knows who he is...the first song is the best song. He knew he had a single.
Loved this. What a surprise. Highlights were Night Train and Arc of a Diver. Hope we get more Winwood and Winwood projects.
Sometimes I really miss cocaine.
Another album that took a few listens to appreciate 😂😅 I wouldn’t say that any tracks really pop out - maybe spanish dancer if I had to choose one, but I really found this to be easy to listen to and pretty entertaining Great vocals, fun percussion.
Stray notes Not sure if Steve Winwood is classified as 'easy listening' but it intuitively fits the definition to me. Most of the value for me is as a time capsule, but since I'm so nostalgic for this era I barely lived through, I can't evaluate the art objectively. I had never heard any songs on this album before, but enjoyed it all the way. Imagine this is gonna get a lot of 3's and 2's, but I'm throwing up 4 fingers for my guy Steve. Such good cheesy 80s pop. Give me as much synth as I can handle. Guy just got in a three-point stance and leaned on the keys, chord after chord. Winwood is like Phil Collins minus the self-seriousness – just pure earnest cheddar. This kind of music makes me want to unbutton my shirt and rip a few lines with the boys. While you See a Chance is so fucking cheesy it feels tailor-made for a movie montage of someone packing up a small but tidy apartment to move out to the west coast, only to realize as they're on the on-ramp to the highway that what they've wanted all along has been in front of them the whole time
I’ve got a pretty big blind spot on anything related to Steve Winwood - have never intentionally listened to any of his solo stuff, Traffic, or Blind Faith. Sounds like an insanely talented dude. I poked around on a bit of his stuff with Clapton today - Blind Faith and a duo live recording - liked what I heard and might dig deeper on Winwood overall. As for this album, the first two songs were promising - especially love the hook on Arc. But everything after felt a little toothless, drowned in synth, and uninteresting drum tracks. Most of these songs could have been shorter without losing any musical substance. Yes, it’s impressive that Steve ripped every instrument on this album, but I also wonder if the songs would have had more life and direction if they were recorded by a band, and not just a lone wolf.
The opening track on this sounded like it could be an 80s TV show theme tune. It generally had a very 80s sound, quite catchy in places. I enjoyed Night Train
You hear that farty-sounding synthesiser track and you know it’s a Steve Winwood jam. Is that something you must hear before you die? It is if you need more instruments that sound like flatulence in your life. I give this album a bonus star for Winwood playing all of the instruments and engineering the hell out of this thing. I think his next album - Talking Back To The Night - is more iconic. That’s what I’ve got.
Easy listening boat songs. Album goes downhill after the first song. But there’s some pretty sick sax every now and then so +1 for that.
I’ve been pretty critical of albums that just mash the synth button because they can, I think it’s lazy and uninspired. This album has the opposite problem. This might have the coolest synth I’ve ever heard and he uses it so sparingly. If the coolest part of his sound didn’t feel like any after thought on so many of these songs I would have rated it higher - but I still really dig the sound.
Typical solo Steve Winwood effort. Nothing bad, nothing really stand-out. Pleasant. 3/5
I’m trying to get my 1001albums mojo back, but this 80s soft rock is really not helping. The list of things I’d prefer to listen to is almost infinitely long. Well, infinity minus however many albums The Police released.
Steve Winwood is an insanely talented musician. He was in three influential bands in the 60s and has worked with just about everyone in the music biz. However, this solo album (he played everything on this) falls flat for me. It’s amiable jazz-funk, but it suffers from weedy 80s home studio production and lacks a bit of oomph. The highlight is an unlikely collaboration with Viv Stanshall (of Bonzo Dog fame) who provided lyrics for the title track.
That's one yacht/soft/dad rock album too much in this list. Seriously, there's tons of music (and genres) out there that are not on the list but let's stuff ourselves with dozens of borring yacht rock albums!
Please make me forget
Synth pan flute magic
A great voice. And the song (not the track, the song) While You See a Chance is really strong. Beyond that, this album is one cringe-inducing element stacked on another. This is the precise moment when synths went from mind-blowing, other-worldly, and exotic to limp and feeble. Synths could still be fascinating - hear what Peter Gabriel or Greg Hawkes (Cars) are doing at the same time. But those guys were spending time and energy programming their sounds. SW showed the music industry that you could sell albums by being lazy; punching up the canned sounds on a Yamaha. So that's what we got for the rest of the 80s. The lyrics on Spanish Dancer are like an average SNL skit - no one could write these in earnest so they must be intended to be funny, but they aren't. They're just really dumb. The only track that doesn't sound painfully dated (thanks to those Yamaha synths) is Slowdown Sundown; but it just sounds like Van Morrison. (I would say watered-down VM, but VM is pretty watered down to begin with.) Great voice though. Imagine if he'd teamed up with a great musical partner/instrumentalist. (If you need a demonstration of how bad this album is, listen to the Spencer Davis Group...)
I've never heard of Steve Winwood before but I really like his sound. The songs have a great rhythm that feels very 80s to me. A nice smooth listen through and through.
The poor man’s Peter Gabriel
Didn't realize this album was a one man show. I like Steve Winwood, and I liked this. On vacation in Barbados, so I probably won't review for a while
Sterile pop music has no soul
meh
Interesting playstyle, some good riffs. I liked the atmosphere, remembered me back the time when I was travelling across the US in my 1965 Shelby mustang. Keeps rocking !
This album has given me insight into what it was like to be a minorly successful actor living in Hollywood in the Eighties. Strutting down the Boulevard with my Walkman on, nothing can touch me. Honourable mentions: Night Train and Spanish Dancer
Cheerful classic pop rock, I enjoyed it. But its emm ordinary.
Heard that first song a billion times. Had no idea that was the title. Huh, who knew
This kinda just sounded like uninteresting 80s grocery store music. I can appreciate that it was probably sorta innovative for the early 80s, but it was unfortunately pretty underwhelming
Nice.
could i write poetry to this? n
Blue-Eyed Soul done right. Winwood's ability to move across genres throughout his career kept him relevant for far longer than many of his age. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see more of his associated work in this project. Four and one-half stars. Pushed up a half for being a true solo album, as he played all the instruments himself.
I can't believe I don't hate this. It's just so pleasant and inoffensive. Parts are reminiscent of Steely Dan, which should be a deal breaker for me, but never reached those irritating heights.
Head empty, no thoughts
I was kinda digging it, felt the groove at times
Oh LiteFM flashback: age 6, sliding around in the back of a station wagon, tearing down the highway, on the way to the outlet mall, opening track turned up, followed by copious amounts of Neil Diamond and Johnny Mathis. The rest of this is fine. Well composed, but the instruments are too dated to enjoy. It’s not trash. Just can’t get into it.
Incredibly unmarkable but not bad I guess
This was good. I enjoyed it very much. Was impressed to learn he did all the instrumentation himself.
I'm kind of impressed that he did all the instruments and vocals himself. But this isn't something I'd return to.
I honestly don’t have a whole lot to say about this album. It’s ok. This album is very 80s for only being made in 1980, haha. I think the album art is nice, it has this certain feel to it I like a little bit. Winwood does a good job on vocals, they really help bring the song to life. I think my favorite part of this album was the instrumental bits though. The performances, bass in particular were really nice. The intro to “While You See a Chance” has really nice synth work. However, a few of the songs were just meh and didn’t really do much for me. There’s still a few decent songs to be found. This was just okay, it was nice but not particularly special, to me at least.
Meh.
Not actively trash, but why is this here
Chill, uplifting album. Impressive all the instrumentation and writing is one person. Sounds like it could be movie music. After a few songs it gets pretty dull; there's not much variation.
Good
2. He's done much better albums.
https://youtu.be/CiehMELBpME?si=B3NkZ5OhFryKYXPS Stealy Dan
Pretty fun
Firmly in the meh section this one.
Album was okay. Nothing bad, but nothing that impressive either. 3/5 Probably won’t listen again
Album 559 of 1001 Steve Winwood - Arc Of A Diver (1980) Rating : 3.85 / 5 Good album. My memories of it consisted of seeing it at the top of the charts in Rolling Stone back in the day. First time hearing it and I enjoy it more than I expected. It is a total Winwood project as he played all instruments on the album. Some commented it sounds like Peter Gabriel and I can hear that, too. This is one I can recommend.
So bland and nondescript it’s confusing to think someone has deemed this worthy of being one of the top 1001 albums of all time. It’s seems odd that it was even considered alright when it came out.
Like taking a pure distilled shot of the 80s. Impressive that every single instrument is him. Fun.
Though I grew up with Winwood, so know the music, it's a bit on the dull side for me. So, a standard 3. Ok to listen to, but I would not seek it out. And did I hear some funk in the bass on night train?
Nothing that caught my attention. Nothing bad either, just not something that I would recommend to others.
Pretty naff
Too synthy!
Very 80's, it is interesting how some music just oozes that time period and I would say this album does that. I liked Arch of a Diver and While You See a Chance. After a while though the 80s sounds just blended together and nothing seemed super special. Each song was also just a little long.
Really like While You See a Chance, such a good message that gives me the warm and fuzzies. The rest of the album was pleasant enough, and it's impressive he played all the instruments, but nothing really measured up to the first track. I did like Slowdown-Sundown. Hits tend to be hits for a reason, and that stands true with this one. But it was a nice listen!
Meh
https://youtu.be/CiehMELBpME?si=D4ax39msYq-FDs_5 Enjoy it, Coach Dick and Balls. On a related note, wasn’t a fan.
There are some cool aspects of this album but overall it’s a little boring. Steve Winwood has a great sound and wonderful voice, but the album as a whole was not memorable.
Reminds me of local radio, they would play crap like this presumably it was cheaper than playing something well known. Or they had terrible taste. Anyway, early 80s easy listening, hateful stuff 1.5*
It’s like it’s defining sonic landscape of the 80s with a small nod to dance music. Inoffensive.
A quintessentially 80s sound that doesn’t really progress too far past that decade. Not awful by any means, just a specific sound and not one I would really come back to.
It was OK, very Radio 2.
Really pleasant, sounded like a jazzier Phil Collins
It's alright. Very 80's easy listening type stuff.
I liked his work in the late 1960s and early 1970s with the Spencer Davis Group, Blind Faith and Traffic, but this solo album is very different from the music he made earlier. It is a quite unmemorable pop album - it sounds like he wanted to cater to the more pop-oriented/middle-of--the-road audiences with this type of music. The production is very 1980s which is not my favorite either. I wanted to like this album, but I couldn't get into it.
Favorite Track: While You See A Chance
I bought this album on CD at time of release but it was one which was sold a few years later. Sold because I soon tired of it and it was seldom played. I always thought Winwood’s albums of this period were light years away from his work with Traffic. Another album Back In The High Life suffered same fate. My perception was he was trying to appeal to the North American MOR radio friendly audience. This was OK at the time but it became that there too much of that stuff about. I still prefer his earlier Traffic work. The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys is my highlight. Good to listen to this again and I wish I hadn’t been so judgemental in getting rid. Spanish Dancer in particular worth owning CD for and probably reason I bought the album. 3/5 18/9/24
Great opening track and decent title track. But quickly downhill after that, sounding now like another generic 80’s record.
Absolute snooze
I don't usually give 5 stars to an album I heard for the first time, but today it happened, once again, that immediate connection that music gives me from time to time (I've been very lucky, because here on this site, this has happened a few times ) and it reminds me of the principles of everything: why I started listening to the albums on this site, why I listen and make music every day and why I love music so much. I feel really lucky! I already knew Steve because of Higher Love, but after this album today, I will definitely get to know his work in more depth!
Chill
3/5. There are some instrumental passages and riffs throughout the album but I wouldn't say any more than three songs stood out to me. It wasn't that the other ones were bad, just didn't provide an interesting enough sound to stay engaged. It is impressive he played all the instruments himself according to the internet but it can take away from the feeling without multiple instruments playing at the same time. Feels more robotic despite his soothing voice. Best Song: While You See A Chance, Night Train, Arc of a Diver
Cheesy but fun
Decent 80s soul pop
Solid 70s fusion record with the synthy keys and funky bass of the 80s.
About as mid as the other prison recording
a pretty nothing album. nothing here really stands out and the production here has aged pretty poorly - a lot of 80s music still sounds great, this... does not. i've never really understood the mass appeal of steve winwood and this just falls into that bucket. let me be clear, this is not bad. it's not unlistenable. i would even venture to say that some of the songs are a tiny bit catchy. it just sounds like you are in a dressing room, circa 1980. in the most unappealing way possible.
Familiar early 80s soft-pop
Dah, it was always going to happen. I liked it. But then I’ve a soft spot for synth pop of that era. I can’t help it.
70s guitarist does 80s synth pop, yay (rolls eyes and looks into distance)! Sounds awfully dated, as most 80s music does. There was some ok songwriting on there, Spanish Dancer and Night Train get a nod. The latter was the best one, as the tempo was upped and guitars brought to the fore, and hey presto. Stick to what you’re best at Steve.
The CIA turned Indonesia into a plantation dictatorship to produce a bass tone this rubbery. They armed generations of Saudi monarchs to secure access to the petroleum byproducts needed to create these synth sounds. They made Colombia into a narco state to produce the cocaine mindset that made this seem like a good idea. It undeniably worked. But was it worth it? Probably not.
Just okay
He’s a talented guy. Had his time in the forefront
The singles on this are timeless pop. The rest of the album is swirling yacht rock synths that sometimes miss the mark
would have probably been a really good album if it wasn’t for the shitty mixing
Rock ochentero melódico. Parecido a Phil Collins o Electric Light Orchestra
Algjör gullmoli. Skúturokk með smá diskóívafi. Og þessi dásamlega rödd bræðir mig alveg.
Na ja
Just a consistently good album. 4 stars or B.
p469. 1980. 2 stars. Pros: one of the great white soul voices on show. One great song. Cons: dated 80s production, and a lot of filler. No-one needs multiple tracks >5+ minutes.
pretty meh and boring on this one. i'm not inspired by any of the tracks and I haven't heard any of them before. I might go with a 1 on this album, nothing redeeming here for me.
solid opener. good choice for the only single from the album. competency is unquestioned, but it's not terribly interesting. just above average at 3 stars.
Would prefer him to be a little more raw. Too polished for my liking.
3.5/5
Huh. I had no expectations and that was probably for the best. It was fine. I loved the use of synthesizers and electronic sounds. Some of it sounded like it belonged on a Super Nintendo game. It was honestly really cool. The music itself? Eh it was ok. I liked the individual parts more than the whole. Some of the lyrics were incredibly generic and nothing really shook me. Solid three stars. Not bad. Not great. I am whelmed. Standout Tracks: Second-Hand Woman, Spanish Dancer
Even though this album is only 40 minutes (which I love) it still feels like it drags on. It's just that soft rock that just sounds so dated.
its going its going its going its still going its gone
He’s a talented dude. Really enjoyed this!
Not for me !
Rock ochentero melódico. Parecido a Phil Collins o Electric Light Orchestra.
Pretty synthy, fun vocals
Interesting album, have some 8 bit thrown in there sounding like a Nintendo game. But the album was good
Another okay album. Sounds like the 80s, for sure. Steve Winwood has a good voice, but the music wasn’t engaging. It was pleasant to listen to. Good background noise or elevator music. Standouts: While You See A Chance and Second-Hand Woman.
In a nutshell: sterile soft rock/synth pop. Look, Steve. I know you were trying to do something different in the 80’s but this was a clusterfuck to listen to. I couldn’t hear anything redeeming on this album. Overall: 1/10
The awesome cover art deserved a better album. This was pretty cheesy and definitely an 80's sound. "Spanish Dancer" and "While You See A Chance" were pretty good but they weren't enough to save this one. 2.5/5
No me dice mucho, un disco entretenido, con buenas canciones pero olvidables. No creo que seguiré escuchando sus otros proyectos. 6/10
This album has always been one that I wanted to listen to (I even have it on Vinyl) but have never sat down with. I like Steve Winwood though - all phases that I can think of. And I love the Cover Art. It was good. I liked it. Particularly the title track and "Spanish Dancer".
It's kinda lame but it's also kinda fun so there's that Wait hold up I just got to side 2 Nevermind it's just lame
One hit wonder, entirely forgettable.
Okay I see why this is here, it represents a genre well. I just don’t really enjoy it
Veldig steely dan vibes
Prog nonsense
It was okay, nothing special
# 293 : I don't love it, I don't hate it, I can listen to it, a couple of things stood out. Mainly track one. I can go for this type of 80s cheese sometimes. I have no particular nostalgia for this album but I was familiar with the lead track, but one classic does not make a good album. Favourite track : While You See A Chance
Average reviewer on this site: The guy from Traffic released an extremely plastic sounding yacht rock album 🙄 Me, a paragon of taste: The guy from Traffic released an extremely plastic sounding yacht rock album 😍 Four stars.
Cheese city
3/5
Very 80s pop, very light, could definitely see it being played on a yacht. I kept thinking that this sounds boring, but I also liked it way more than I expected. Maybe I just liked that the songs evolved as they went, like Slowdown Sundown, which has a fun bridge. I also liked Second-Hand Woman and Arc of a Diver. Overall, a mid album that kept my attention throughout it's runtime.
Add this to the “one big song so the album should be on the list” list. 3/10
Reminds me a bit of Elton John crossed with Bon Jovi. Warm, bluesy, and heavily keyboard-based songs, with the rock-husk vocal quality of ol' Jonny (and tons of other 70s and 80s stadium-rock singers). We see heavy use of synths in particular on the keyboard, though organs and pianos are also present. Knowing that Windwood played every instrument here makes the listening experience considerably different, as you struggle to comprehend how musicians are able to do this. It's pretty impressive. The reliance on synths is the album's downfall, though, because for all its success (particularly in the 80s), it makes the music sound pretty dated. And once you realise that, the miffed-ness you feel is unavoidable. (While You See A Chance is great, though, and I'm sure I recognise it from somewhere. It gives the album bonus points for familiarity.) 3/5 Key tracks: While You See A Chance, Spanish Dancer
Not good
6.5/10 strong start but a boring finish :((
Vajbade betydligt mer med vissa låtar än andra, men överlag trevligt. Sista låtarna var bäst bästa låt: spanish dancer asssså alriiiiiight vad hårt den gick