Arc Of A Diver

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.

272/1001 🌕🌕🌑🌑🌑

Klingt wie generischer happy Phil Collins mit Nintendo Synthezisern. Wenn ichs nicht gehört hätte hätte ich nix verpasst.

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.

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

Nope

This is terrible. I loved every minute of it. Favorite songs were While You See A Chance and Night Train

The album title is the best thing about the album. Rest is very bland sub Phil Collins 80's pfaf.

1.57

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.

Poor

pure 80s cheese

I do like Yacht Rock and this kind of soul but not my cup of tea

Meh.

Bit boring

Ye synths! It reeks of 80s tho. So no.

Never listened to Steve Winwood before. Probably won’t listen again. But enjoyed a few of these.

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.

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.

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...)

The poor man’s Peter Gabriel

meh

Cheerful classic pop rock, I enjoyed it. But its emm ordinary.

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

Head empty, no thoughts

Incredibly unmarkable but not bad I guess

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.

2. He's done much better albums.

https://youtu.be/CiehMELBpME?si=B3NkZ5OhFryKYXPS Stealy Dan

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.

Nothing that caught my attention. Nothing bad either, just not something that I would recommend to others.

Meh

https://youtu.be/CiehMELBpME?si=D4ax39msYq-FDs_5 Enjoy it, Coach Dick and Balls. On a related note, wasn’t a fan.

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.

Great opening track and decent title track. But quickly downhill after that, sounding now like another generic 80’s record.

Absolute snooze

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.

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.

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

Not for me !

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

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

Cheese city

Add this to the “one big song so the album should be on the list” list. 3/10

It's perfectly listenable, but hardly essential.

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

I felt bored listening to this

Do you find Bruce Hornsby just a little too edgy? Well, have we got an artist for you!

Nothing special. Not bad, but nothing special.

Not sure what to say about this, it's alright but unremarkable

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.

Not for me, dull.

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.

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.

Strong opening track, the rest is kinda blah.

Yeah, not bad. Didn't knock my socks off, but I'm glad I listened to it.

Why does this exist?

One good song.

2.5

It's, like, too chill... 4/10

Pleasant listening, but this felt like of like elevator music to me.

Good musician but i found it quite boring. Night train was the best on the album

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.

Cool I guess but not really a lot of thoughts lol

Not my cup of soup

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.

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.

Very generic

Bit of a letdown.

Ok.

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

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.

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.

nothing objectionable. Night Train was the standout for me.

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.

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.

Pretty boring

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.

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

Just blends into the background. Forgettable.

In the middle

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.

Very mediocre, poor sound, there is just no energy or excitment anywhere, all rather bland

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

Three cuts got a far amount of airplay over the years. The rest of the album is forgettable

ehhhh

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.

Good first song. The rest was elevator music

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.

Sja. Het is muziek. Goed voor de achtergrond I guess.

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.

Its okay, some songs were good but other wise it's average

The synth is so heavy and grating - otherwise I'd rate it a 3

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

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

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.

There's clearly skill on display here, but this is hold music that I would probably turn down or hope for a callback.

Hilarious way to start the day but got pretty sick of it by the middle

Not my thing at all. 80s keyboard extravaganza. Very samey.

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

Boring

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

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

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.

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

Just not my thing.

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.

I listened to this but don't even remember what it sounded like

The synth keyboard is horrible. 2 stars

Too much cheese.

This was a fine listen, albeit a bit background noisey as it went on. I enjoy Steve Winwood's voice and approach, but I pretty much find myself wanting to hear most of these tracks performed by Traffic instead. Favorite track: Night Train

Have always been a fan of Higher Love and Back in the High Life Again but unfortunately neither of those tracks are on this album.

oK.

Dull. Could have been the soundtrack to Beverley Hills Cop 3. I much prefer his earlier work.

Really not my kind

I liked the music. The lyrics and vocals….not so much

No me gustó, para nada. Re insulso, me hizo acordar a Phil Collins.

Never heard of the guy before now, seems like the type of music people’s parents would have listened to on holiday in Majorca in the 80’s. Night train was funky enough, reminded me of a vice city kind of song.

5/10 Inoffensive Highlights: Night Train

I mean, I guess Steve Winwood should be represented as a "sound of the 80s" kind of thing. But I dont think that this album would be anything that anyone would say everyone should hear before they die. 2/5

1/7, 14%

Easy listening

starts good after the middle it's pretty filler

Not my style but not bad for the 80s soft rock

Digger albumarten dåe

Whitest music ever made

It’s not for me. Every song melded into the other and I lost interest throughout parts of this. I’m sure there’s an audience for this brand of boring rock. Those people are probably going to love it!

Well, this was a nice and safe record wasn’t it. Not much to report on this one I’m afraid. Will I ever seek it out? Nope.

Not good.I don’t enjoy his vocal style and the songs are just plain boring.Feels like a waste of time.

EHHHHH: I mean this albums exists, don't know who is listening to it but it's here for sure. Not sure what to even write for this bc it was just so underwhelming. I felt bored throughout this whole album with none of the songs necessarily getting me going or loving it. Just not a very good album.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__jiz18l84U

I feel like I was transported into an 80s romcom movie while listening to this

I think you had to be there at the time for this one. It's a little Phil Collins, but without the talent or ego. I respect the songwriting. And the fact that he's a multi instrumentalist. But this did nothing for me.

What a waste of talent. The man made some great music in the 60s and then he made this. It doesn't sound very original or very good.

end credits stock music

Arc of a Diver // Slowdown Sundown //

Imagine what people think of when "boring 80s music" pops into their mind, this is it. Although I will say, Winwood does have some talent in playing all instruments.

Good moments but too much fluff.

2.4/5 not bad but just basic 80s

Like an off-key, cheesy, pale version of Talk Talk. 2.3

Perhaps the album I have the least amount of thoughts and opinions so far. The final song nearly dragged it down to a one star, but I like the synths in the first just enough for it to die in the "forgettable" pile.

It was wild how a lot of 60s stars returned to relevancy for hits they had in the 80s. And boy is this album very 80s. I love me some Steve Winwood, but give me Traffic or Blind Faith. I could do without this.

Not feeling this one

Windwood never managed to catch me with his music, even when it was new.

Nothing special

The arc of this album is only so so. It starts off with its strongest track and then kind of nosedives from there.

Sleepy cheese

80s fuck sakes

Heavily synth/pinao oriented pop, the sound of which firmly places it into the late 70s/early 80s. Which I usually like. But where are the standout elements? Where are the hooks? Not to mention melodies ... Without any of those, this is a lackluster excuse for a good album of that era. 2/5

The production is slick, even if it sounds dated now. I liked the optimistic energy of the opening track and when the synths were deployed to create spacey soundscapes, like on Spanish Dancer, but many of the tracks didn’t really move me in any way. 2.5

Not bad background music, not something I'll choose to listen to again.

Steve Winwood goes adult contemporary with mixed results. For me Spanish Dancer (the most "Traffic-sounding" song) is the best song on the album with a lot of MOR pop oriented stuff that tends to put me to sleep. 2.5 stars

Overall it was boring but fine. It didn't seem to age well - just sounds like a relic of the 80s. A few cool synth riffs but overall just disappointing.

I really don’t like this album. It’s so basic and forgettable. But I guess in the background it isn’t terrible

Song all sounded the same

Bit boring over all

Only the hit stands the test of time

2.7 - If this record were maybe 15% worse it’d be within that realm of “so-bad-it’s-good.” As it is, I find the arrangements messy and slapdash with lots of ham-fisted attempts to meld synthesized sonics and acoustic instruments. “Spanish Dancer” epitomizes these shortcomings with its lame nylon-stringed guitar voicing over repetitive chords on synth. Winwood’s voice is one redeeming feature but it’s a pity that the lyrics and melodies are also weak.

So 80's it sets my teeth on edge. Its by far from the worst offender of that decade because despite all the twee minimoog Winwood does manage to bring a soulful edge to it, which is actually quite impressive because it manages to break through all the awful synth stabs that put it firmly in its time. till most of the time it seems tailor made to be either 1. The soundtrack to a particularly forgettable episode of Magnum P.I or 2. Sung on a cruise ship. It gets elevated to a 2 because, to its credit, it didn't make me keep checking how long until the end.

Han satsa på en sound, den vartet ikke

all of these songs sound like the music over the rolling credits of a film featuring paul hogan.

Fine. Perfectly pleasant with a nice atmosphere but nothing that stood out and made me really pay attention.

I really have no idea what to make of this! It was a bit all over the place I thought, started off with very cringey 80s synths then took a completely different direction by the time we got to Spanish Dancer. Wasn't my bag at all. A touch irritating

loada rubbish, boring, cheesy

Dull 80’s rock, sounds a bit like Phil Collins.

2.5/5

I enjoyed the first couple of songs, the music was pretty fun, but I really tuned out after that

Prefs: While You See a Chance, Arc of a Diver Moins pref: Second-Hand Woman

Steve Winwood is one of those names I know well but I couldn't name a song he sang. After hearing the first song, which was the single, I was glad I knew his name rather than his songs. The album got better and it's impressive that he plays all the instruments. I like his guitar and bass playing.

Did a dad make this list? What a snooze.

Some great bits but a bit too ‘background music’

A classic 80's sound with keyboards and a squeaky clean production to match. Which is a shame as Winwood's voice is more suited to something a little more authentic. There are some great songs in here waiting to be set free. But the music doesn't match the emotion. Night Train has a nice groove going on. A hint of what was to come.

Not bad but never was my type of music

Blah

quite dated, sounds like every other song of the era. Is this the same pewrson that sings return to sender

it's a bit groovy. but not my taste.

Cut price Phil Collins.

meinlaust

Not a fan

It was some generic easy listening. It wasn't helped by the fact that Traffic was on the list 2 days prior for me.

Listenable but not super enjoyable or memorable. Favorite: While You See a Chance

Nice, but not fantastic

The kind of album that sounds like it was written for every 80s teen romance movie... and not in a good way. It reminds me of a more generic Phil Collins. There's nothing offensive here - it's even pleasant at times - but the overuse of synths and cheesy lyrics sound a bit dated to my ears. In general, I really enjoy 80s synths, but the sound isn't working for me here. There just isn't a whole lot unique about its execution. Maybe that's unfair and this album was in fact a trendsetter at the time, I really have no idea - but listening to it in 2022 without that history, it's just not standing very strong on its own. Standout tracks: "Second-Hand Woman" and "Night Train"

Mostly boring

Wasnt too impressed but May need to relisten to catch anything I missed bc I was fairly distracted

Big ol' meh. Night Train was okay tho.

Inoffensive but indifferent Saturday morning listening really. Like having Smooth Radio on or something.

Not for me

Not a big fan of synthesized music but I do enjoy Steve Winwood.

A little too eighties for my taste

Music for dorks by a dork.

What a big load of 80s synth cheese. It's like they deliberately picked the tritest synth sounds. Too bad he wasn't keeping up with developments by Bowie and Gabriel. No edge to it at all.

Steve Winwood writes nice intros to songs

Steve Winwood manages to cling on to relevancy into the 1980s, mining the dominant sounds of synth-pop and channelling his songwriting down an easy-listening, distinctly bland avenue. After spending time as the leader of the Spencer Davis Group, multi-instrumentalist of Traffic and Blind Faith, Winwood had his solo breakthrough with "Arc of a Diver", after several years in obscurity. Perhaps in an effort to be popular and current again, he covered the album in an unmistakeable 80's sheen, occasionally pulling it off. The most enjoyable groove is "Night Train" with its rock-solid beat, popping percussive synth sounds, fretless bass vamps and tight rhythm guitar. Despite being the longest track on the album, it justifies its length and allows each instrument room to breathe. "Second Hand Woman" boasts about the catchiest chorus on the record- I'd even go as far to call it soaring. But that's most of the praise I can afford this album. Across the rest of it, there are glimmers of greatness- a lick here, a synth line there- but in truth, these are few and far between. They're all played well, but it's just relentlessly bland: locked into formula, with no edge to any of it whatsoever. This might be forgivable if the songs were at least catchy, or had something worth remembering about them: but most do not. This is adult contemporary to relax to, to be wistful and reminisce about the older days, to soundtrack your divorce or mid-life crisis... you name it. Yes, Winwood played all the instruments on his own and deserves some credit for that. But while that's a nice bit of trivia, it doesn't help to improve the actual songs. Winwood's vocal, once a powerhouse of 60s rock, is by now a well-worn jumper: still reliable and polished, but lacking edge. The instrumentals are dominated by obnoxious synths: it would have been nice to hear more guitars, or acoustic instruments. The synths here are too brash, too in-your-face, with some harsh tones and cheap, dated sounding leads. Take "If You See A Chance", the lead single here and the one that was apparently a hit. After being plastered with a tacky synth lead for its main riff, it then bridges into a meandering verse and a chorus like a limp handshake. Knowing that Winwood played the drums on it as well as the guitar and that talky-fizzy synth sound doesn't help me enjoy it any more. After crawling through a set of similar experiences toward the finish line, we're given "Dust": a cloying ending with characteristically insipid lyrics ("A feather duster's no substitute for the real thing; and the dust you left behind is settling still"). Whatever the "real thing" might be in music, Winwood definitely seems like a feather duster here.

Lata 80 atakuja kolejny raz, tym razem atak prosto z wysp od spiewaka, multiinstrumentalisty, teksciarza, calkowiscie mi nieznanej postaci swiata muzyki Steva Windoowda, arc of a diver to drugi album w jego dyskografii wydany w 1980, krotki acz ambitny material, bo jest to solowy solowy krazek, nie ma tutaj zadnego feautra, nawet w postaci inzyniera dzwieku, jedynie jeden pan jest jako co inzynier, ale jako takim producentem byl pan Steve, wiec jest ambitnie, ale te wielkie ambicje rozbijaja sie o gatunek jaki podejmuje plyta, bo jest to rock w edycji popowej lat 80, wiec synthami ostro po kablach rzuca, az przychodzi fragmentami na mysl still life of Pat Metheny Group i zwlaszcza ich jojowy last train home, album tak solowy, ze pan Steve sam sobie musial robic z chorki, ale nie ma zle, bo przeciez wojsa tez mozna pusicic z efekciarskim efektem i tak jakby nowy glos sie narodzil, z czego jest korzystane na plycie, jak na solowy album to jest masa instrumentow i nie ma miejsc, ktore bylby niewykorzystane instrumentalnie, wiec czapki z glow za taki projekt w latach 80, gdzie jeszcze wszystko trzeba bylo robic na drutach, a nie klepiac w komputr, jak przystalo na album mocno popowy trakuje on w calosci praktycznie o romansach, co juz sie nawet rzuca w oczy z samych tytulow, nie wymeczyl mnie ten 40 minutowy seansik, bo tylko 7 trakow, ale raczej nic mi w glowie po nim nie zostanie, jedynie poza informacja, ze tak solowy material znalazl swe miejsce na liscie, ale to pewnie przez wyspiarskie pochodzenie plyty, na plejke leci second-hand woman, takiego okreslenia na babe jeszcze nie slyszalem i mocno z niego zgnilem, polecam serdecznie

Sting would punch this dude in the throat.

Meh

Okay, first of all: what a cool cover! Damn, how I miss album art. I remember most of these songs from when they were popular in the 80s. They are harmless but don't do much for me. I can hear how talented Steve Winwood is, no doubt, but stylistically and aesthetically these songs are just not my thing.

boring

Poor man’s Phil Collins. Sounds like theme music to an 80s sitcom or Beverly Hills Cop or something.

sincere 80s musicianship that i am in no way interested in or the music is relevant to me

só gostei mesmo de night train.

Couldn't get past the mechanical sound of it which diluted the heart of the record.

Onneks oli lyhyt levy.

Inoffensive 80s pop-rock

Steve Winwood wrote & produced this album almost entirely by himself - in fact, all of the instruments you hear were performed by him alone. This was his second album and a breakthrough album as well. Steve went with more of a rock vibe for this album and it paid off. The first track actually made it to #7 on the Billboard Hot 100! The music is groovy and easy to get lost in, because there are so many different sounds & lyrics.

Maybe it was unique at the time, but now it's just generic 80s

Le voy a dar un punto más de lo que me gustó porque me recuerda a Alf

Not my favorite Winwood, a little too much keytar for my taste. Still a couple of top notch tracks on there.

It’s fine, it’s nice, but it’s not my cup of tea. Nothing on the album particularly stood out to me and I have no intention of revisiting

All perfectly nice 80s synth stuff but not for me

There's nothing worse than being inoffensive

Really? To paraphrase an old joke, the worst thing about Traffic is Steve Winwood. Or maybe it's the best thing about Traffic. Either way, at least this isn't "Roll With It" I guess. All preconceived biases aside, not a bad listen at all. "While You See A Chance" is a great song. The rest of the album is fine. I guess it's fine to be on a list of 1,001 albums I need to expose to my ears before dying. Winwood played all of the instruments on the entire album, so there's that. Still, meh.

As a fan of the band Traffic this album had a lot of moments that reminded me of that music. But the overall “easy-listening” feel of it turn me off.

Actually kinda decent. Very 80s vibe

energetic synth pop.

meh

mom can we have stevie wonder. no, we got stevie wonder at home

He gets a full star for the album art. This album is generally groovy but also not that wowing for me. And he didn't blow me away with the implications behind Second-Hand Woman.

Zu viel 80's. Nicht so meins.

Vielleicht fehlt die Poolbar und der Schirmchen-Cocktail. Richtig präsentiert an einem schönen Sommerabend würde ich bestimmt mehr Punkte vergeben.

It's not too bad but style too synthetic 80's for me. While the songs are not that bad, I really only enjoyed the first one.

Most songs sound like they could be opening themes to bad family sitcoms in the 90s

Very 80's and quite boring. Only interesting thing about this was the album art. Night Train had a bit of a groove going, but not sure if having to listen to all the tracks before it was worth it 🤷

Nothing stands out and its so short! Probably a three for being meh but gets a 2 because of the lack of songs

4

meh. This is soft rock plus cheese synth 2 tracks in. Yea this kinda sucked eggs.

Fine

Meh. In the mid-to-late eighties, I won a copy of this on cassette, as a door prize at a bar. I gave it to my mother.

Not interested.

Did not realise it was playing...

Not great. I rather listen to Genesis instead

Ive never heard of this guy, i'm sure I've heard his songs somewhere before, but the album was pretty good. it started out lame, though "Second Hand Woman" was both dated AND jazzy smooth though. hands down my favorite track was "Slowdown Sundown"; did it need a synthy jazz keyboard solo? no, but i wouldn't kick it out of bed for eating crackers. "Spanish Dancer" was a great track, a close second for best track, but god damn the last tracks were WAY too long. I'm all for a cool, funky groove, but 8 minutes to basically loop the same thing is way too fucking much! though, to be fair, i give him points for playing literally every instrument on the album, no one except for Beck, or Dave Grohl does that! One final note, the cover album looks like a guy diving head-first into a pile of shit....which, could be how some viewed this album, ya never know.

I didn't know much if anything about Steve Winwood and I decided to read about him before listening to the album. Kind of got my hopes up - child prodigy, playing in bands at 8, record deal at 14, played with Clapton, Hendrix, Muddy Waters, B.B. King... but all that lead up led to a big disappointment. The music is so soft rock, pale R&B, made for daytime radio. I kind of wanted to punch him during "Second-Hand Woman." His voice reminds me of - sorry for this Jon - Phil Collins, in a bad way. I did not like this album.

This dude loves his synth

this kinda sounds like some shit from a musical idk why this just gives me bad vibes, was okay ? 2.5

Not really my bag. Tinny production on Unfun songs

80s cheese to the max. Soft-pop-rock. The only redeeming quality is it's hilarious since it's so straight. I'd love it in a cheesy 80s movie, but I'd never ever want to listen to it beyond that. I guess a time and a place. In some ways I can respect it for how uncompromising it is. This is one I turned on "Private Listening" on Spotify so it doesn't ruin my algorithm. I guess I have heard the track "Valerie" and "Higher Love" but those are on different albums.

Very average

Gefälligster eighties-pop. Mehr weiß ich dazu auch nicht zu sagen.

Look I'm sure this guy is talented, I'm sure stuff like this was interesting in 1980. Honestly though, it's boring. It's boring and I want my time back.

Fun, but dated. Loved the organ opening, but wow the synth sound has not aged well. At least for this kind of music, I think I like it in other places.

Is not good

Oh No! This hurts! In 1980 there was punk, metal, new wave, synths - all so much better than this shite

Meh

More like arc of a snoozer zzzzzzz the first song is supposedly his "best' song and it sucked!! The rest of the album didn't get any better either. sorry Steve!!

Coincidentally, I got a Traffic record the day prior to getting this one. This seemed to have pushed all their worst elements to the forefront, yielding the musical equivalent of expired mayonnaise.

This was so dull, a poor man’s Phil Collins and I don’t even like Phil Collins. One star for slowdown sundown which I found myself somewhat enjoying against all my better instincts.

Cheese, pure cheese.

I have a playlist called Seventies not-rock for songs like Billy Joel etc which are more mainstream/ yachty than my normal taste but which are undeniably great. Not a single track from this album will make the list, I'm afraid. I thought it was boring and, tbh, pretty poor. I don't even like his voice. For now, Higher Love remains the only Steve song that I actually don't mind.

What a pile of 80s turd.

This list could be 5005 albums long and this STILL wouldn't make the cut

Didn't realized how soulless, boring and bland this album is until I sat down and actively listen to it. Guy sounds like a bootleg combination of Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins, or basically any guy from this style and that time. The music is incredibly tame and dated as well, being basically melodramatic and slow pop rock with not so great sounding synths. Another crime of this album is how long the songs are. Why the need to make them last for 5 to 8 minutes long when there isn't anything interesting happening???? Only positive thing I can think of is some maybe decent bass lines here and there, but that's it. So yes, quite the terrible experience.

1001 i shouldn't listen to?

Oof.

this suck ass

From start to finish just trash.

It's been a while since I listened to such a neutered and diluted music... abysmal dogshit. Compositions are boring, the vocals are anything but catchy, and the instrumentals are absolutely typical for that era.

You know in Die Hard there’s that character Harry Ellis, a sleazy coked up businessman who tries (and fails) to sell everyone out to Hans Gruber? If they developed Ellis’s character more, it certainly would have turned out that this was one of his favorite albums. This is music for the worst person you know. It’s total ass. Sometimes I get the feeling this list is a psychological experiment to explore the sunk cost fallacy. Like yeah there are some good things on here for sure but there’s also so much stuff that completely sucks, has no lasting influence or impact, but I keep on plugging away at it day after day instead of listening to something I will actually enjoy because I’m a couple of hundred albums deep.

Comically bad.

Q: Why did you listen to hard rock and rap in the 80's? A: I present you Exhibit A. I guess this light rock shite was a progression from the prog rock shite of the 70's. As an ex young person of the 1980s, this sucked then too.

very 80's synth. Really not my thing

This record had very few redeeming qualities, and I had made up my mind about the score I would give it after 2 songs.

Ohhhhh fuck I have to fart

"Oh look, there's some paint drying that needs watching" - my excuse to leave if this gets played near me again.

Hueva

Que dire de plus qui n’ait déjà été résumé par cette note couperet ? Un sur cinq et encore, c’est cher payé... C’est cher payé pour ce qui s’apparente à un véritable naufrage auditif, un encéphalogramme plat musical qui s'écoute avec la même excitation nerveuse que celle procurée par le bruit monotone des essuie-glaces sous une averse de novembre. Je me suis imposé cette écoute, et je le regrette déjà amèrement tant le vide artistique y est vertigineux. Car on parle ici d'un disque qui aspire toute énergie vitale pour la remplacer par un ennui tiède. Pourtant, sur le papier, l’artisan derrière la console n’est pas le premier manchot venu, on connaît le CV. Mais en cette année 1980, l'inspiration semble être restée définitivement au vestiaire, promptement remplacée par un cahier des charges d'une pauvreté affligeante et d'un opportunisme commercial flagrant. Ici, l’artiste fait tout tout seul : claviers, guitares, voix, batterie, basse et c'est précisément là que le piège se referme. Car si l'autarcie a parfois du bon, ici elle accouche d'un monstre de complaisance. Tout est à jeter sans sommation : les arrangements au synthétiseur d’un goût plus que douteux, la production lissée jusqu’à l'écœurement, et cette voix qui traîne une léthargie contagieuse au fil de morceaux désespérément prévisibles et plats. On se demande franchement ce qui a bien pu passer par la tête des sélectionneurs pour aller dénicher ce truc et le coller dans une liste d'œuvres censées marquer l'histoire de l'humanité. C’est à se taper la tête contre les murs. Chaque piste commence et se termine dans la même indifférence, sans que l'auditeur ne puisse jamais sortir de sa torpeur, si ce n'est pour vérifier combien de minutes de calvaire il reste avant la délivrance finale. La paresse d'écriture est ici élevée au rang d'art majeur, les mélodies tournent en boucle sur trois accords fatigués que même un débutant bouderait par fierté. C'est l'illustration parfaite du déclin d'une certaine idée de la musique des années 70, digérée et recrachée par l'industrie naissante des années 80 dans ce qu'elle a de plus clinquant, superficiel et inutile. Rien à sauver, donc. Pas même le fameux single qui a fait le succès de l'album à sa sortie et qui sonne aujourd'hui comme une immense plaisanterie datée, un hymne à la mollesse qui donne envie de briser sa platine en deux. C'est de la bouillie pour les chats, du sucre glace sur de la merde, un produit marketing déguisé en œuvre d'art intime. Je ressors de cette expérience vidé, irrité, avec la désagréable impression d'avoir perdu quarante minutes de ma vie que personne ne pourra jamais me rendre. Si le projet des 1001 Albums réserve parfois de magnifiques surprises et des redécouvertes indispensables, il impose aussi de traverser des déserts de platitude absolue dont cet opus est, sans conteste, le monument le plus terrifiant. C'est chiant comme la pluie, disais-je ? Je présente mes plus plates excuses à la pluie. La pluie, elle au moins, possède une rythmique changeante, une odeur de terre mouillée, une mélancolie brute et une poésie naturelle qui balaient ce disque en moins de deux secondes. Ici, il n'y a que le bruit du pognon facile et de l'autosatisfaction d'un musicien qui s'écoute jouer tout seul dans son studio hors de prix, persuadé de pondre un chef-d'œuvre alors qu'il ne fabrique que du vide acoustique. Pour conclure ce calvaire, disons simplement que cet album mérite amplement sa note minimale. Il devrait être étudié dans les écoles de musique comme le contre-exemple parfait de tout ce qu'il ne faut pas faire quand on possède un studio et du temps libre. Un disque sans âme, sans tripes, sans urgence, sans intérêt. Une tache grise dans une discographie, un rendez-vous manqué avec l'histoire, et surtout, un immense moment de solitude pour quiconque a le malheur de poser le diamant sur sa face A. À fuir d'urgence, sous peine de dépression nerveuse immédiate causée par un excès de fadeur.

You're really testing me, dear album generator....

1001 album du må høre på for å virkelig forstå at ingenting var bedre før. Temu-versjonen av 80-talls-syntpop.

this sucked

Hot garbage