Reviews (page 6 of 8)
Ojoj fett bra album Bästa låtar: Spanish Dancer, Night train, Dust
Very chill, would be good lounge music - especially Night Train. Enjoyed Spanish Dancer the most
This album in its entirety does not feel like an album that should be on this list. Sure Steve Winwood had a good career in groups and solo, but aside from "While You See Your Chance" is a great song and there are other good songs like "Spanish Dancer" and "Slowdown Sundown", it was not genre defining or groundbreaking. Still a good, easy listen...
It's perfectly listenable, but hardly essential.
I love this album—it reintroduced Steve Winwood and showed the breadth of his talent. Admittedly not every song is great but enough of them are for me. My favorite is probably Spanish Dancer.
Never heard this before but this was fun! Given its release year was this proto-yacht rock? Sounds like it definitely inspired both Mayer Hawthorne and John Mayer’s Sob rock while drawing from the Beatles.
Spanish Dancer stood out, breezy and warm. Night Train opens with funky bass and guitar licks, then kicks into gear with piano and an anthemic chorus. I'm digging this. I relistened to the first half and the first two tracks aren't doing much for me but Second Hand Woman is another nice one. Dust is a pretty good closer. I like 4 of the 7 tracks quite a bit, good enough for ****. Also impressed that Winwood plays all the instruments on the album!
Incredible album of all the best songs, my reaction: https://images.app.goo.gl/bXxv3s3uRng8CrSY9 [surfer man tahiti paris 2024 olympics]
Liked this - nice and upbeat - didnt realise i knew other songs of his.
5.5/10
Love the lead song “When You See A Chance”. A lot of synthesizer on the album, but it hits a bit different than the usual songs of the 80s. Voice similar to Peter Gabriel. We get hit with a little funk from time to time as well! Low 4.
ganz gut hörbar
One of the great unsung heroes of rock music. Absurdly talented. First hit the charts as lead vocalist of the Spencer Davis Group at 18 years old. Then via Traffic and Blind Faith to solo work. He even played organ on Voodoo Chile!
Pretty much fully self-made albums are always impressive. And this one is no other. Great voice with original sound. 3.5/5.
Oooo I do like a bit of 80s cheese but apart from the big hit there's nothing here to interest anyone. I'm not sure what the Genre is here? 'Cheese'?
It is an alright album, but not his best album. The best track is definitely "While You See a Chance". This is not the Steve Winwood album that deserves to be on the list. The album that deserves to be on the list is BACK IN THE HIGH LIFE AGAIN (1986). That was the album that sent tremors through the music industry, with many pop acts adopting the afro-carribbean vibes after that album became a smash hit.
I get that Winwood is a pretty talented musician and I really want to say something interesting about this album. But I was honestly kind if bored by a lot of it. When an artist tries to sound equally edgy and safe at the same time, it kind of doesn't sound like much of anything at all. While I appreciate some experimentation, it doesn't really suit Winwood in my opinion. But I did enjoy the more subtle tracks like 'Slowdown-Sundown' and 'Spanish Dancer' more than I expected. 'Night Train' also grew on me the second time around. Overall, it's fine and has some better moments, but nothing that memorable.
Steve is softer than soft with a predictable outcome: not too bad, not too good.
Winwood is an excellent instrumentalist, songwriter and producer - and this completely homemade record shows.
Overall not something that I'd return to, but there was one track here that I absolutely loved. So it was worth going through this album just for the result of discovering that great song
Love this album have not listened to it in years
Catchy, a bit unambitious
I felt bored listening to this
Just not my music
I can't lie the look of the album cover had me bracing for some nonsense, so colour me surprised when the first track was good and then the rest of the tracks also turned out to be good. It's tuneful and happy, and sorry to everyone who can't just chill out and enjoy generic sounding music from time to time. I do not believe that some people find this unlistenable because it is so inoffensive that there's no way they're not just being pretentious or dramatic. Anyways, I liked all the songs, it has a reasonable runtime as well, this was an unexpected 4 for me
I really enjoyed the album. Winwood's got some good lyrics and a killer bassist for a lot of these songs. I don't love the album and I'm not sure why I needed to hear it before I die, but it brings me a higher love. 4/5!
Typical drivel of its time!
Baws
Everything awful about 80’s music in one album.
Canciones fav: - Second-handwoman - Nigth train - Arc of a diver I mean it's alright... para nada memorable. Las reseñas taaaan malas me dicen que los rockeros/metachos puristas son unos aguafiestas porque esto está bien bailable
There’s a lot of abuse for this album for some reason, meanwhile it’s impressive just for the fact that he’s playing all the instruments on it and playing them well. Good commercial 80s rock.
80s music by the icon myself - great work
1.4/5 -- listened 2x. just not great. glutton for punishment here, as it didn't get better.
Do you find Bruce Hornsby just a little too edgy? Well, have we got an artist for you!
I see what‘s special here (thanks Wikipedia!) - he played all Instruments by himself and composed the songs which is always an interesting thing. The sound of this record is sometimes a bit boring to me (like the first track and actual hit of this lp) and some other times pretty cool! Reminds me of music by Phil Collins, Peter Gabriel etc. My favorite on this is Night Train
Keyboard heavy soft rock. Nothing mind blowing but decent easy listen.
A pleasant listening experience.
Charcuterie at sea 🧀 🛥
Nothing special. Not bad, but nothing special.
Not sure what to say about this, it's alright but unremarkable
I wasn't all that excited about this until I hit the sick 80's jam of Night Train. This is some boogie down busy guitar, rattle the keys groove. Steve Winwood has his place in the pantheon.
“Arc of a Diver'' sounds like an album made by someone older than 32. But Steve Winwood had been in bands since he was 14 (first in the Spencer Davis Group with his brother, Muff Winwood. Yes, Muff was a nickname. But why? Previously puzzled by the big muffs of John Martyn and Mudhoney, we learned about Harmonix fuzzboxes. But Muff Winwood’s muff was smaller. It was a 1950s children’s TV show puppet horse character named Muffin the Mule. What muff did to earn being nicknamed after a puppet horse we have no idea.)... where were we? After the Spencer Davis Group, Steve Winwood was in Traffic (the band, not the frustrating gridlock of cars on busy roads) and a brief supergroup with Cream’s Eric Clapton and Ginger Baker before his solo career got going in the 1980s. So he was quite the experienced veteran releasing “Arc of a Diver” in 1980. And “While You See a Chance” is a great opener for that decade. Winwood clearly shows he can hang at the yacht club with his soft layering of synthesizers, organs, and guitars. Impressively, he played every instrument on the album. But while that was a great intro to the 80s, it was Winwood’s 1986 album that couldn’t have embodied the decade better. What more 80s song is there than “Higher Love?” And on an album that also included “Back in the High Life Again” and “The Finer Things.” The soft, easy listening of yacht rock makes up much of the background soundtrack of my childhood. As the hippies turned to yuppies, Winwood and his contemporaries led the way.
The 80s music scene genuinely thought it was on to something. I’m not sure which electronic device produced the sound (Prophet-5, Minimoog, or Yamaha CS-80), but It’s featured throughout by Winwood here, supplying high pitched lead lines. It distinctly identifies this album with the timeframe. Not necessarily a good thing, but there is a certain nostalgic aspect in play. I am impressed that Winwood played all the instruments on the album. Gotta respect that. Night Train is the highlight of the album for sure. The bass line is great. Too bad there weren’t more tracks like it.
Like me some Steve. Pretty soft tunes but it’s got some really uplifting melodies.
Sometimes when lots of bad things come together, cheesy vocals, awful synths, dreadful arrangements, well... in this case it just ends up a pile of stinking dross. It's hard to single out what I hate about this most. The vocals sound like someone impersonating Phil Collins, who in turn is impersonating Peter Gabriel, badly. I worry about Mr Winwood's nasal passage, as it sounds totally blocked. Maybe he suffers from allergies? The synths are probably the worst, but are actually so very bad that they become "interesting". There's a cheap "farty" sound as if this is being played on a cheap Casio that came out of a Christmas Cracker. The lyrics are just appalling, hitting the "run out of words la la la um um um" level of dreadfulness. But nope, after listening to the whole sorry affair, it's the keyboards that grate the most I feel. The synth-sax squeals like a stuck pig and, although there's an argument that they complement the other awful sounds being emitted here, this is a horror that should have been left where it belongs, back in the early 1980s. Obligatory one star.
Really interesting music from this album. I enjoyed most of it. Nothing stood out as being that ‘’masterpiece” song though. Everything kind of blended, still very good though
Crazy that I’m even about to speak remotely positively about this album. Because I know myself well enough to know that a year and a half ago I would have probably absolutely hated this. But people change I guess. By all means is this very silly music. Totally borders on being apart of the group of below average 80’s music. But I think the year is very important. Because in 1980, things were still a bit relaxed, and hadn’t gone totally off the deep end yet. This doesn’t go as far as sounding like all of the vomit-inducing glitzy rock and pop music that would pop up in the mid-80s. Imagine a more fancy kind of yacht rock. Like a less jazzy and more synth based Steely Dan. And speaking of those synths, they go pretty crazy on this. They are what composes a lot of this album’s main instrumentation. And I can’t lie. Steve is fucking ripping it on those things. I’m such a sucker for a cool sounding and well written synth passage. This album is full of them. This also gives me Donkey Kong Country water level music vibes. And Steve himself has a nice voice. Maybe something that only fits this sound, but not a bad one either way. I also just learned my grandfather was a big fan of this guy, which automatically bumps this up a few points for me. Overall, this is okay. Nothing more, and nothing too special, but there is still enjoyment to be found. Rating: 5/10
Wow, this makes me wanna die.
Not for me, dull.
01) While You See a Chance - 7,5 02) Arc of a Diver - 7,5 03) Second-Hand Woman - 7,0 04) Slowdown Sundown - 7,5 05) Spanish Dancer - 7,5 06) Night Train - 8,0 07) Dust - 7,0 TOTAL: 7,43 (74/100) Current ranking: 119/216 Pleasant pop from the eighties. Nothing too exciting but also nothing offensive. I don't know a single song from this album, but I see that Steve was more popular in the US than in Europe. I think "Night Train" is the best song on the album.
This is the kind of stuff I grew up listening to in the back of my parents station wagon. That’s not a good thing.
For a 1980 album this sounds like it invented the sound of 83/4/5 Everyone else was coming out of punk and new wave and into the cusp of pop. This seems to have been ahead of that. For good and ill. This is truly tedious though.
I really liked this one! In the vein of Peter Gabriel, Phil Collins, etc. Made some good endorphins. :)
While you See Chance and the title track are decent tracks, the rest of the album is forgettable bland 80's adult contemporary. Hard to really give this more than 2.5.
Why is this in here? It’s just not a great record. It’s fine but forgettable.
Fine. Drags a little.
This was fine. A couple of good songs, lots of forgettable stuff. Nothing I'm going to rave about, but wouldn't turn it off, either.
Winwood's transition from Traffic clarified that he was pop-focused, much like Phil Collin's latter Genesis recordings. Fun but...different.
Strong opening track, the rest is kinda blah.
This is so good It's not cool but its damn good High 4. Not cool but brilliant title track is superb
OK as far as singer-songwriter music goes. Listenable, but also far from being great. It has some Phil Collins vibes, but not the same quality of songwriting. The synth sounds may have sounded futuristic in the early 80's, but sound very dated today.
Yeah, not bad. Didn't knock my socks off, but I'm glad I listened to it.
Never heard of this before, but I really liked it!
Why does this exist?
One good song.
Was just...not my jam. I can't quite pinpoint it.
not at all what i expected from steve winwood based on what i know about steve winwood, pleasantly surprised
He is a very talented songwriter and musician! The one thing I will say is that I didn't fully vibe with the atmospheric vibe that was going on, but I am so impressed that he singlehandedly wrote, played, and mixed this whole album. I genuinely enjoyed it, even if it wasn't my perfect sound.
2.5
off the bat, I love a kazoo otomatone type vibe so I was in not as much of a fan of the slower later songs as I was the openers
It's, like, too chill... 4/10
Pleasant listening, but this felt like of like elevator music to me.
I'd never heard of Steve Winwood before, and I'm not sure his music does anything for me. The arrangements and use of synths sounded off to me, and none of the tracks were particularly memorable.
Good musician but i found it quite boring. Night train was the best on the album
First half: I like the sound and the overall vibes but for now it doesn't offer a diverse listening experience A good thing to point out is how even if the individual tracks carry the same sound each one feels like it could be enjoyed on it's own.
A classic
I lowkey was not paying enough attention after the first track but this was alright
I can't fathom why anyone would ever choose this album over the front to back collection of bangers that is "Back In The High Life"
It’s not that this isn’t well composed, or that the synth is the featured element. It’s that it sounds like department store rock, from the 80s. There’s really nothing to appreciate.
Farty-synth era blue eyed soul is generally bad. This is no exception though a few tunes are catch enough to merit two stars.
Yeah, this is what Steve Winwood sounds like.
Jazzy, bluesy, and pop all sort of thrown into one... I liked this more than initially expected after listening to it a few times.
Straight 80s pop. Nothing very noteworthy. Campy
Cool I guess but not really a lot of thoughts lol
I really can't be mad at Steve Winwood, this just doesn't do it for me though.
It's OK, clearly 80s music from the birth of the decade. His voice, sometimes, a bit too much
...
Not my cup of soup
I found this really boring and uninspiring. Not sure of the appeal.
OK, good solid Rock/Pop
Nice voice and opens with an ok track, before the… unpleasantness… Cheesy, radio-friendly soft rock/pop. Mad to think this guy was in Traffic.
I enjoyed it initially but then so aggressively 80s. I like the synth
Fantastic album, Winwood had one of the most distinctive sounds in the music industry and it remains unmistakable…. Solid album !
So I purchased "Arc Of A Diver" when it came out, as I always like Steve Winwood - and clearly this was a new direction for him entering the 1980's... Sure there are some less-than-inspiring efforts on the album, but there are a handful of tracks that are exceptional... Below are the best songs IMO, and again on 7-star scale... "While You See A Chance" - 5-stars out of 7... "Arc Of A Dive" - 6-stars out of 7... "Spanish Dancer" - 5-stars out of 7... "Night Train" - 5-stars out of 7... Love the album cover as well, but this is a really well-made album - and would probably give it a 3.50 if I could, so a solid 3 for me...
I don't know all that much about Steve Winwood, beyond his three or four major singles. So I wasn't quite sure what to expect from this listen, but I thought it might have some cheesy 80's synths. And guess what, they're here! Still, the reviews on this site sort of surprised me. A 2.88 average?! Does no one here appreciate the sleek, neon goodness of '80s bangers? Because aged as they may be, the songwriting here is on point, with Winwood and his co-writer Will Jennings delivering banger after banger indeed. The smooth and breezy collection made me feel like I was sipping mai tais on a beach and not stuck at work. That's enough to warrant a solid 4 stars.
It was too "yacht-rock" for me.
When the first track gets going you can hear the structures of a decent song but the instrumentation is very off-putting. It's all programmed drums and synthesizers. It's like they are utilising the latest technology just for the sake of it. I get the feeling this would sound a bit better if done with traditional instruments. The other things that hits me is how it all sounds like Phil Collins / Peter Gabriel / Marrilion. All very prog rock but probably not the best example of it. Like many albums I've had so far, I don't see what is so significant about this that I had to hear in my lifetime. 2- Stars.
Sound is very 80s. Quite fun and energetic
Very generic
Bit of a letdown.
Ok.
He’s a great musician, but his solo stuff is a bit…boring at times. Kinda of “adult contemporary,” I guess. I don’t love it, I don’t hate it. It’s good enough, I suppose.
yacht rock excellence. highlights: “while you see a chance” “second-hand woman” “night train”
Very much a guy fucking around by himself in the studio. Many tracks have promising vibes, but end up being either too cheesy or not really working out. At several points, Winwood adds unintuitive progressions to otherwise straight forward tracks. Steve Winwood is however no Stevie wonder, and these attempts at musical interest do mostly not really serve the track they’re on. Second-hand woman is the best track. 1.9
3.5
This was not bad, more synthy than I expected.
First listen Saved 1/7 Top track: Night Train
Not bad, but not sure I would listen again.
I don’t think I’ve ever heard of Steve Winwood before. Some of the melodies I enjoyed. But every song is too long and outstays its welcome. Plus I felt that each song sorta sounded like a rough draft for a 1980s sitcom. 2/5
Good production value on this record but the music didn’t hit me.
The keyboard sound didn’t stand the test of time.
I feel like this is the album that I've had the least to say about. It doesn't have a ton of cultural significance, but it's not too low to the point of there being no good argument for, at the very least, Steve Winwood himself having an album on here. His career has had some notable points. The album's sound is solid. It's very Steely Dan-esque in both the singing and sound. The writing is okay. Nothing about this album is groundbreaking, but the album is perfectly serviceable to the kinds of people that this kind of music appeals to. High 3/5.
Bonus points for Winwood playing all the instruments. But this is a tepid, drab affair that is so middle of the road, Christopher Cross got jealous.
It's a good, solid album from Steve Winwood.
This album was the ultimate “falling into your dad’s music taste check” and it checked me HARD. I used to think Valarie as a song as so mild when I’d listen to it compared to the sampled version from Eric Prydz/Thomas Bangalter. Then I listen to this album and maaaaan Steve’s in the POCKET on these songs. Not overdoing it, just groovin
nah, not for me - figure this guy only had "higher love" and then there's a whole album without it on there, worries me that the other album will be in here too
Classic 80s sound. Cliche now but enjoyable.
Happily surprised with this one. Elegant, solid production, some sweet keyboard, and quality vocals. Just good vibes in general.
Not bad, Average, middle of the road - 3 stars
nothing objectionable. Night Train was the standout for me.
A staple classic of that Island Records “Soft-Rock Sound” that Robert Palmer moulded out in the late 70’s, saying that, Robert Palmer ekes out Steve Winwood in terms of overall quality on this occasion.
started out pretty fun, got kinda boring later tho
Tremendo opener con esos synths, todo el album tuvo instrumentales y writing increíble, pero especialmente los synths
bien groovy me gustó buco. 8/10
Jazzy/poppy, nice grooves
This one is weird. I had a good idea of what to expect, but as a fan of Traffic, I still found myself a bit disappointed. I was even thinking the negative reviews were harsh, but quickly realized there was some justification. Most of these songs sound and feel like they needed a little more time to bake. They have strange mixing, texture choices, lack some good grooves, and ultimately feel flat. Perhaps the sound of someone trying too hard to do something different with too many (at the time) new tools but not knowing how best to put the pieces together. Some positives: Gotta give Steve Winwood for essentially doing all of this himself, Night Train is kind of a jam, Slowdown-Sundown, sounding the most like Traffic, is pleasing, and in all it's cheese, I like the title track just enough. I'm probably being a bit more critical because I was hoping for a bit more.
It’s incredibly impressive that Steve Winwood played every instrument on this album himself (though no surprise as he was something of a teenage musical prodigy), and there are numerous moments that tend to stick in the brain after they’ve gone. But Arc of a Diver is somewhat unfocused and lacks a bit of oomph; Winwood’s best solo work was ahead of him.
É gostosinho mas não achei muito memorável
A classic
Took the Night Train listening to this.
On the opening song of this record, I realized I have heard it a million times and it was super popular when I was kid. Reminded me of the a.m. radio and is a solid tune. Though I don’t recall hearing any of the other songs before, the whole record is solid. It could get an award for how consistent it is, with no deviation in style throughout. Unfortunately, I just didn’t find it very interesting. Not bad, just not anything I really want to listen to.
Phil Collins?
A decent pop or easy listening album, but not my cup of tea
Average 80s synth soft rock. Nothing stood out. Talented dude to play all the instruments himself so I that as a reason for getting on the list. But wouldn't listen to it again.
Very 80’s, but an absolutely delightful listen.
The 80s had both some of the best and some of the worst music ever released. This is an example of the latter.
I really liked this actually. Never heard of Steve Winwood or this album, but this feels like somebody has put the 80s into a can
winwood time. er het anschinend alli instrument gspielt uf dem. while you see a chance fangt sehr cool ah. schellechranz zücht irgendwenn afoch dure. de synth sound huere geil. arc of a diver findi etz weniger berauschend. aso isch cute aber meh. second hand woman isch chli en weirde titel. synth solo isch wieder preeeemium alte. jo d hook vom song isch nöd super aber wenner soliert isch recht geil. slowdown sundown sehr cute, bass isch cool. gfallt mer sehr. alte de afang vo night train figgt jo mol hert. bruudi isch da groovy. shit isch fire stefan gwünnigsholz. dust isch cute aber er isch wieder chli uf de cheesy siite ohni meeega spannend z sii. album wank zwüsched 3 und 4.
NEI ES ISCH FUNNY SYNTHI TIME CHILETIME? OKKKK FUNNY SYNTHI TIIME oah geili stimm sehr 80er hahahaha de synthi isch sehr dominant und emngisch chli too much aber au sehr funny, erinneret mich chli an manfred mann's earth band uhh slowdown-sundown mega schön night train findis hi hat funny aber s lied selber chlii lanwgilig ja grundsätzlich die zweit hälfti isch chli immer glich gsi aber trz es klars 4i, ich lieb de goofy synthi
Pretty boring
Classic 4
love me some Steve Winwood!!!
Why? Must listen? It’s a decent listen. And Winwood is a superb musician and excellent songwriter. ‘When you see a chance’ is great. But top 1000 album? No. 3.5 stars. It’s good. But not 1000 album good. Rounded down.
OK. opens with a breezy 80's track - feelgood nostalgia. a reminder of a simpler time and the quirks of the pop music of the era. Q: does the rest fo the album carry the same impact? A: a few sleepy tracks that feel like lobby/elevator music now. A bit too sleepy and for me, frustratingly slow - A top album? no. more a curio now, that is maybe interesting for someone for its use of organs and stereo effects 80s style. but it might sound better sped up! like Night Train does... but I confess this sounds like a slow soundtrack to a straight to video 80s american crime thriller.... man gets out of TransAm and walks inot convenince store in a run down town, where somethign is about to happen. but not enough "happens" on this album. Yet another "old white man nostalgia album from a wood veneer listening room with wall to wall carpet". Its deifnitekly not the best of the 80s. take it off the list now,
I’ve loved Steve Winwood since he emerged as the lead singer of The Spencer Davis Group. He had been 14 years old when he joined the band in 1962, 16 years old when they released their first single in 1964 & 17 years old when I first heard him on their hit single Keep On Running in 1966. He would follow that in 1967 with Gimme Some Lovin & I’m A Man before splitting to form Traffic when he was still a teenager. I loved Traffic & the supergroup he formed with Clapton, Blind Faith. We called my littlest sister Stevie after him because she had a head of long red hair, looking very much like Winwood’s hair at the time. Why am I telling you all this? Because I really never liked this album. Winwood wrote the music played everything & engineered & produced the album, but had 3 different songwriters write the lyrics. I was a big fan of the opening track, which had been a big hit single & I didn’t mind the title track (the only lyric provided by the great Vivian Stanshall, best remembered as a member of the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band & the MC heard on Mike Oldfield’s Tubular Bells). But I find the rest of the album a bit limp. An exercise in demonstrating how talented Winwood is, but dud songs don’t help.
Steve Winwood has played and sung on some really great records over the year, as a front man of the Spencer Davis Group, Traffic or Blind Faith, or as a featured player, such as his terrific playing on Jimi Hendrix's Electric Ladyland album. And I really rate his playing. But the things I really love about him are not quite as evident on this album. The keyboard playing is mostly (then cutting edge) synthesizers, and the soul seems largely absent from his vocals. I know this was a self-produced, home recorded effort, that was his last shot at a career before he gave up to drive cabs. And I don't begrudge Steve his success, after spending his whole life on the road. But.... this album set out the tone and sound of a whole decade of over-polished, synth-heavy, recorded-to-the-click albums that followed. Given how it was recorded, it is remarkable how polished it sounds, but the polishing smooths off the feel, the soul, the swing of it. It is middle of the road, easy listening pablum, which (opening hit single aside) I find really tedious. He credits this album for saving his career, but really, did he do much of note following this? This album helped establish the sound of adult-oriented 'rock' for the 80s, and I'm not convinced that was a good thing. Dust off the B3, Steve, and crank out some soul covers for us. I'd much prefer that.
Have I heard this album before? No Highlights: Rating: 3.2/10 Thought this was really boring 80s pop rock.
This is very much not my cuppa tea, but I didnt mind it. Dare I say it, I think I enjoyed it in parts. I cant even say why. The vocals are a bit dated and quite typical of that era. It’s quite MOR pop, and dated at that, but it was a relatively pleasant listen. Doubt id be back but didnt hate it.
This was very bland, sounded like a lot of bad TV show themes with really corny synth and sax riffs. I had it on while working and it all merged into one, my phone has played one or two random tracks before I realised it had finished. As it was released in 1980 it was probably influential on the other 80s stuff that sounded like this, but I'm not sure that's better or worse. Not for me, can't imagine it's anyone's favourite, even if you like this music you'd probably prefer something that stands out a bit more.
I think I was in the perfect mood for this. I know a few of them anyway. My favourite Winwood song is Valerie, on his next album - so good that he is consistent. Second-Hand Woman, While You See A Chance, Night Train, and Spanish Dancer stood out. Thanks Steve.
Thought this was okay, it sounds quite dated in large parts but I did like Steve's voice. It's short enough that it didn't irk me but the album ends on the worst track.
Very 80s. Quite liked the bass lines on some of it. Night train in particular. Think I might have recognised the opening track, felt familiar Overall though not my thing and won't be back
Fancy
Just blends into the background. Forgettable.
Mais um folk sem relevância para mim.
Okay so I’ve always been enamored with/by Steve Winwood’s annoying voice. I can’t get enough of it. For a dude who’s been everywhere, this album was solid. The funky weird synthy basses, the works. I really like it. Nothing stands out as much as the first two tracks for me, but it just felt terrific to listen all at once.
In the middle
If I asked you to describe the 80s on a base guitar, this album would be it. I've known the name Steve Winwood since forever. This is my first time actually listening to him. There was lots of different sounds to this. Great guitar. Fun Bass. And all around a decent lesson but a little dated
This is a pretty groovy album, I was plesently surprised. Pretty fun listen. I will likely give it another go. 4/5
Blahhhh
Hated it. It was god awful.
very fun !
Great album to listen to at work. Calming and relaxing
Meh. Didn’t hate it. Kind of annoying background music.
Feeling a bit like a negative nancy. Just boring. Could be the headache and the studying and the midterms, but this wasn't what I needed, and I'm not sure it will ever be what I need.
You can't help but feel like a guy who own's a boat. Going to go sport a pink button down and lace up my loafers today. It's shorts with belts weather!
Really groovy and exciting. 5 stars.
i actually fuck with this heavy this shit like a 4.2
What a really pleasant, upbeat, feel-good album. Extremely 80s in sound and style, but that's okay - I love that feel. Winwood has an amazing voice that is very reminiscent of Phil Collins (for me at least). The fact that he played every instrument on the album is mind boggling...and did so to an impressive degree. There's only a couple tracks that I wasn't fond of and the synths/keys are a little overwhelming at times. But all in all, a very fine album. Favorite tracks: While You See a Chance, Arc of a Diver, Slowdown Sundown, Night Train.
Very mediocre, poor sound, there is just no energy or excitment anywhere, all rather bland
Sophisti pop. I taped Back in the High Life back in 1986 and liked it a lot at the time. Discovered Arc of a Diver only 15 years later or so, and was less impressed. Today: I appreciate the overall smoothness, the synths on While You'll See A Chance and like Night Train a lot, but still cannot get fully into the album and prefer the Traffic albums. score: 7/10.
I thought I might like this one, but no. The songs were quite boring, and especially the vocals sounded surprisingly weak.
This didn't make a significant impression after two spins.
I dunno it’s a bit meh, it’s very listenable but do care for any of it, I don’t think so
Yeah, I remember this album. Heard it plenty in the way back when. It’s kinda boring music, but I’ll try again. Here goes! Wish me luck! Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Une voix qui m'évoque Phil Collins, du rock un peu relevé et funky
I don't normally do this, but I just can't today. This is literally so three-star and mid in every way that it actually became a one-star.
When trying to convince people that the 80's were not musically terrible, one might preface with "Look.. it's not all Duran Duran and Steve Winwood and Vanilla Ice" 1 case of not helping your case out of 5
Неплохо, но музыка не моя. Однако, с утра подняла настроение даже.
I enjoyed it. I was surprised.
Gave me a reason to turn on Minecraft for a little bit.
Typical 1980s soft rock. Not bad, but not good. 2.5.
Not his best. Not terrible though
Three cuts got a far amount of airplay over the years. The rest of the album is forgettable
Such a fun album. Second-Hand Woman is amazing. While You See a Chance is fantastic. Slowdown Sundown is a song I could picture my parents listening to in the living room when I was young young. Last few songs on the first disc kind of fall off but I will be coming back to Steve Winwood often. He has the added bonus of really reminding me of my parents' music. A nostalgia that will continue to tug at my heart.
A little boring but ok.
ehhhh
Favourite Songs: "Slowdown-Sundown", "Night Train" It feels like a certain something is missing for me on most songs and it's probably a lack of distinction between verse/chorus or, in general, different parts of the song, despite ideas being explored. Notes: - "While You See A Chance" synth lead sounds just like "Valerie" - "Arc Of A Diver" funky - "Slowdown-Sundown" less energetic + mandolin + organ, change in the middle - "Night Train" Hooks me more
That was pretty enjoyable
This definitely an 80s album. I had never heard of the artist or any of the songs. Nothing was particularly catchy. It was relative short but many of the songs were way too long.
Wonderful!
So many songs on here that I know. Cool synthesizer sounds. I could listen to it again.
Good first song. The rest was elevator music
Pretty enjoyable album by an artist I didn't know well.
The song or two I knew was good, but then I just tuned it out. Nothing unique.
I thought I'd like this more than I did. First song is known and great. The rest just didn't really do it for me.
He is a talented musician but overall the album was a little too groovy for me.
This is like 80's in a bottle. Faves maybe Spanish Dancer and Night Train
My only point of reference for Steve Winwood is that It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia's Dennis Reynolds is a fan, and listening to this, I can definitely visualize Dennis doing the American Psycho bit with this album. 😆 Other than that, not a very exceptionable listen. Very dated synth sounds, and not much stood out really, although it didn't actively irritate. Fave track - "Night Train", let's say!
It's fine
Some good ones, I really liked Slowdown-Sundown
Boh si
Sja. Het is muziek. Goed voor de achtergrond I guess.
Bien aimé, très chill/vieux
I was going to attempt another listen, but F it. This guy's voice and music take me back to time I just met my future wife and had the unfortunate experience of having to drop her sister off at her boyfriend's apartment. This dude proceeded to play one of Winwood's albums, (yes vinyl album) over and over and over for like 3 hours straight while her berated his girlfriend, punched up walls and the wiped blood on my new WMU sweatshirt. All because she went to Spring Break in Florida without him or something like that. Now, every time I hear Winwood's voice or music, I want to punch Rick in the face. Over and over and over again. I can't believe she married that dick and I can't believe I made to the end of this album. All apologies to Winwood, but I avoid your music like I avoid Rick. As much as possible.
2 Whenever I think of Steve Winwood, I think of that episode of Always Sunny where Dennis and Dee try to change the music at a spin class and ultimately leave the instructor with a Steve Winwood album as a parting gift. Great show… not as great of an artist. Respect to the dude for playing every instrument here and self-producing, but I think this may be one of those rare instances where it would have benefitted from having more cooks in the kitchen. As is, it sounds like a white dude trying to do a Stevie Wonder thing with maybe a splash of Peter Gabriel thrown in there for good measure, but any of the fun attributes of either of those artists are completely boiled away. Like, it’s not objectionably bad music, but it just doesn’t work for me - I find it incredibly uninteresting, soulless, and ultimately, a slog of a listen. Is Always Sunny doing a meta joke that its terrible characters have terrible taste? Don’t really have anything else to say on this one - there’s not much this album does that’s particularly commentable, and there isn’t any one song or moment that I would say is better or worse than any other. Oh well, after writing a novel with my last few reviews, I’m probably due for a shorter one anyway.
Winwood is quintessentially 80s: that blend of soft rock which isn’t quite pop, but also incorporates trance amounts of soul and jazz into it as well, while also somehow having almost entirely synthesized instruments. Overall consensus: meh.
This mostly ends up feeling kind of like a Kirkland brand Genesis or other synth heavy band. Still good! But not an original vibe or top name brand quality. Good, but doesn't blow me away.
Its okay, some songs were good but other wise it's average
A great chill album!
Nice album
1. a chance - 0 2. arc of a diver - 0 3. zecond hand uuoman - 0 4. zundouun - 5. zpanizh dancer - 0 6. night train - 1 7. duzt - 0
Classic
The synth is so heavy and grating - otherwise I'd rate it a 3
While You See a Chance- 2.7/5 Arc of a Diver- 3.7/5 Second-Hand Woman- 3.5/5 Slowdown Sundown- 3.4/5 Spanish Dancer- 3.6/5 Night Train- 3.2/5 Dust- 3/5 Total- 3.3/5
I liked the mellow vibe, but found the album as a whole a bit boring. It's pleasant background music rather than something you'd seek out to listen to
4 star
приятный, пыталась повысить до категории под него хорошо спится, но в целом эффекта не заметила
Alright, just wish it were heavier or more interesting I guess. Really liked the tone of the keys
Great album, great mixing, good to leave it on and listen for any occasions.
He was certainly talented, but this is such a product of its time that I cannot help but be a deeply bored child again when I hear it.
Had hoped for more - he's a super talented artist but seemed here he just wanted to play with some new synths and do some yacht rock.
Cheese 80s blah
Terrible right out of the gate. I hope the rest of the album isn't this bad. Yep. This is rough.
3+
Can't believe how old this album is. Some really nice sound
Goofy ahh record that sounds like a soundtrack of some of some antique animated movie from the start of the digital age that I'd find on a dusty forgotten CD at the back of a mother's CD shelf. Certainly evokes a certain peculiar nostalgic feeling, but I'd need to be in a very specfic mood to find this truly enjoyable. For now it just gives me this vibe of frivolous superficial detachment from reality. Naive and oblivious. I wouldn't really say I like it very much + the guy's voice sort of reminds me of that of Randy Newman, who I find extremely irritating. Not really my jam, but it could be worse and it's certainly an interesting music branch to know about, so I'll give it 2 stars at least.
Enjoyed this way more than expected, been listening to this in the background for a while now and haven't gotten tired of it. Four stars
Nice
3.5 for me
pretty good not amazing
I am embarrassed for this project that this album is listed. The albums that are just people banging trash cans together are better.
Cool throwback. Sounds like a movie soundtrack
There's clearly skill on display here, but this is hold music that I would probably turn down or hope for a callback.
Catchy
funky 80s pop. good for background 3/5
¡Pedazo de disco y pedazo de artista!.
Steve Winwood! Wait a second, this isn't at all like Back in the High Life or Roll with it. Or like any of his work with Clapton, Hendrix, or Traffic... So much synthesizer. 2.85 stars
Good singer, too much early 80's synthesizer. Overall, it's pretty OK.
Cheesy 80s stuff but not in the bad way.
Loved this album. Stevie certainly won with this wood. Great melodies, fantastic vocal performance. Bright fun and funky, a real gem. 8
Not really my sound
Another easy listening album. I felt transported to a different time.
Hilarious way to start the day but got pretty sick of it by the middle
sounds somewhat dated but it is decently groovy
Not a real big fan of his solo stuff. Just not a fan of the style.
I did not know Steve played all instruments on this, that makes it so much more impressive! The songs are pretty great, concise. have distinctive vocals and a great melodic approach. Standout tracks: While You See A Chance, Arc Of A Diver, Slowdown Sundown, Night Train, Dust 8 out of 10
Another unintended (right?) coincidence reviewing this Steve Winwood a day after a Traffic record. Unfortunately, over ten years later, Arc Of A Diver doesn't age as well as Traffic's second album, with dated 80's electronic commercial pop. This is about as MOR, AOR it get and it did yield a hit and it was his breakthrough album as a solo artist. When, While You See A Chance was "topping" the charts I didn't care for the song. It opens with some cheesy synths and it's funny because listening to it now it feels nostalgic and so familiar, with it's catchy rhythms, surely signs I'm getting middle-aged and mellow, so I don't mind the song. The rest of the album is fine, though it's still not as good as (later period) Traffic, when their albums were a challenging listen.
loved most of it, glad that there's lyrics and that wasn't just an instrumental album. Great discovery
6/10 Smooth and very layed back sound over classic 80s instrumentation.
For whatever reason this reminded me of 80’s and early 90’s sitcom music, maybe it was the midi they used I’m not sure. Overall I enjoyed it, easy listening. 3.1
Great album and very nostalgic for me. Have recently got on vinyl. Great Tunes : arc of a diver, spanish dancer and while you see a chance which presaged Valerie on his next album
Love this album - both when it came out and to relisten today
Not my thing at all. 80s keyboard extravaganza. Very samey.
Was relieved when I turned it off
Didn't like the sound of this one, hard to enjoy as a result. Had a very 80's, day-time South-East Radio feel
He certainly has a recognizable sound and strong talent. His music is easy to listen to.
Really hooks you in from the first song and doesn't let up. Such a great album and will have on repeat for a while.
banger!! i like the synths. favorite songs: secondhand woman, night train
Boring
1/16/24. Pretty decent 80s style music with some jazz elements included. Will listen again, but enjoyed on the first run.
12/01/2023 Lentorrix. Está bien para música ambiente mientras se trabaja. la conocida: While you see a chance.
Just a nice synthy vibe from an incredibly talented musician - I mean just look at his session credits. Hadn’t listened to much of his work before. Side note - I met two of his kids and they were genuinely very nice people.
Songs I mostly remember, but they aren't memorable. Never been a fan for some reason. It's me, not him.
Sounds like an annoying, sanitized version of Japanese city pop.
Eeeeh
Moche. Je veux bien mettre "While you see a chance" de côté, c'est la meilleure et elle n'est quand même pas bonne. Le reste n'est qu'un grand ramassis de synthé daté et affreux et de production au rabais dans des compo sans grand intérêt chanté avec une voix au mieux quelconque, plus souvent énervante. Et "Second-Hand Woman"? Vraiment? Je passe.
first listen brilliant synths. if every 80s sax solo was replaced with a synth solo that sounded like this record, the world would be a better place
Didn’t like “Valerie” or “The Finer Things”, his hits from his most popular solo album. I like this even less.
Ihan ok retro-poppia
Ei harmita ihan kamalasti tämän kuuntelu mutta ei myöskään sykähdytä.
Corny but sweet. Can't see myself going back to the whole album as most of the songs are pretty similar. That being said I will go back to "While you see a chance" because that song is great. 2.5/5
Tried a few times to be a Steve Winwood fan. A little too soft for me I think. Genuinely great and soulful parts to this album however. 2.5/5
I feel i should like this, cause I like Others of this style, but I don’t 2
I can only describe this as dull and a sludge to get through. There was only a single song I somewhat enjoyed, the others I waited for to be over. The genre was hard to place. A little jazzy, a little pop. A forgettable voice with forgettable lyrics
I liked Slowdown-Sundown, but this seemed like an album you'd hear over the mall speakers in the 80's. pretty generic.
Spanish Dancer is a good one. The rest is pretty forgettable 80s synth pop
Alan Parsonsy style, not quite as good but could grow on me
Very enjoyable now as then. Talent.
wish it was a bit more jazzy and less rock-y. overall decent to good
When Peter Gabriel, in a career slump, gets hired to sing over the top of a mid-80's Saturday morning cartoon theme song soundtrack album.
Oof the synth, the lyrics, the sound of his voice. I think my mom added this one to the list.
decent. lot of smooth jazz. plus the album art is a piece of my childhood which bumps it to a 4 from a 3
This doesn't suck, but not something I'll ever run towards.
Som muito agradavel, boa instrumentacao
Rock ochentero un tanto tostón. Ni fu ni fa.
This sounded like Phil Collins singing bad songs. Spanish Dancer was kinda enjoyable and the cover art is great but overall this was a stinker. Winwood more like Losewood 2 stars
Had very low expectations based on the album art and name of the guy but some of the songs were undeniably groovy and got me dancing in the kitchen. Nothing transcendent but there's good stuff here.
Ooh I’ve always liked the band Traffic but I had no idea the singer / plays-a-little-but-of-everything guy in the band had a solo career that includes this slightly cheesy 80s pop album. I’m very much open to loving this. So far, based on the first few tracks, the vibe is positive and his vocals are a great fit for this style. Reminds me of Peter Gabriel but I’ve never been a big Gabriel fan so this is a slight upgrade for me. He played every instrument on this? Wow. Genius level stuff. “Night Train” is a funky synth-rock jam! Really enjoying it. 😎😎 Very good album. Gonna put it into rotation for a while.
Love that synth brass sound to start. I couldn't immediately tell what year we were in from looking at the album cover, but this synth gave it away. Although to be honest, at the drum intro starting at 00:40 in the first song could totally be an indie band from today. The record had a couple of nice tracks on it but nothing that I really felt that blew me away. I'll definitely be giving it more listens though- I did like many of the parts and several of the songs had a cool laid back flow that I felt was really nice to listen to. The instrumentation in general is also just really fun.
Overall I really enjoyed this album. The vocals were solid and the fusion of jazz with 80s synth waves made it stand out in a great way. Could see myself listening to this while I work or on an evening drive down the freeway. Definitely adding some of these songs to my library. The end of the album did bring the overall score down a bit, Night Train was a bit longer than it needed to be and Dust didn't match the rest of the album to me and was a bit slow. Favorite songs: While You See A Chance, Arc of a Diver Skips: Night Train, Dust
Just not my thing.
Decent album, well written for sure, but some songs drag on. Wouldn't pick to listen normally, but it wasn't terrible. Fav track: Night Train
How on earth did this album end up here? Boring, boring, boring.
Okay, so there's no Phil Collins on this list, but there's this album? What a joke.
The Wish version of Phil Collins... Without a distinct/iconic voice and without interesting drum parts. The synth sounds are bad and cringy. Pop songs without any hooks, barely melodies and feeling uninspired. What the hell? Steve Winwood is a talented musician with an impressive career, but this album is just bad.
Really not my thing… i did not enjoy this
Best Song: Night Train. Groovy enough to make me want to work on a night train. Worst Song: Secondhand Woman. Weird lyrics, and despite my usual preferences, it feels like Winwood works better with more time to musically noodle, so this song actually feels too brief. Overall: This era of super slick, technically impressive rock often strikes me as somewhat soulless. I get that it's good, but it lacks some spark of originality or raw authenticity that makes it end up feeling somewhat robotic to me.
Very "80s solo album". It's not bad. A lot of enjoyable melodies and catchy lyrics. Doesn't really blow me away or anything.
I listened to this but don't even remember what it sounded like