Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 6-10 of 65
 Another Shore For Winwood May 2, 2008
Andre S. Grindle (Brewer Maine)
8 out of 15 found this review helpful
Fresh off of a reunion tour with Blind Faith Steve Winwood emmerges with this album.While I still lean towards Steve Winwood,Arc of a Diver and Talking Back to the Night as my favorite Winwood solo albums (all three showcase his talents as a computer,vocalist and multi instrumentalist best) this album has a different kind of charm. The music here generally bridges the cap between Winwood's music with Blind Faith and Traffic with his patented genre bending blend of pop,rock,soul,funk,blues and jazz. He starts off the album in a rather quiet mood with "I'm Not Drowning" and "Fly",the later of which features a beautiful flute solo. On "Raging Sea" Winwood gets down into a funky mood which extends into the blues on the meandering "Dirty City" with Eric Clapton,adding his trademark rocking blues licks to the proceeding. The next four songs "We're All Looking","Hungry Man","Secrets" and "At Times We Do Forget" all showcase the percussive/rhythm-based sound of Traffic but again Winwoods quiet mood continues.On "Other Shore" Steve presents a very good pop song using a similar sound. There's only one question about all this-why other then some good songs would anyone beside Winwood fans want this? Steve Winwood has been around for four decades and while his music has never really wavered in quality his enthusiasm has on occasion,especially on his spotty 90's recordings. So this album isn't as much a comeback as an extension on a theme. It also has the feeling of an album that,while by no means a future classic will grow on the listener and surely become a fan favorite to some people.And being a Winwood fan I hope I am one of them.
 BACK ON HIGHER GROUND June 27, 2008
Thomas D. Ryan (New York)
8 out of 8 found this review helpful
It seems as though we forget too easily just how vital Steve Winwood is. His release rate is sporadic, and as the saying goes, `out of sight, out of mind.' Nevertheless, he's been providing us with great music since the British Invasion (yeah, it's been that long) as a member of the Spencer Davis Group, then with Traffic, then Blind Faith, then the revised Traffic, and finally, as a solo artist. His music has always been relaxed and reflective, but with a strong rhythmic drive and a timeless quality that keeps his music relevant through all sorts of stylistic changes. He may not make a lot of records, but he always makes good ones, so it shouldn't surprise me to learn that "Nine Lives" is as good as it is. The surprise is that it's even better than I had any right to expect.
"Nine Lives" sounds a lot like second-generation Traffic, with less noodling and more focus. The songs build on blues riffs, jazz, and folk-rock, all coupled with African and Latin influences. There is precision and elegance to virtually every track on this album, without a single extraneous note. It all makes perfect sense, from the nailed down rhythmic grooves to the song lengths, which linger only long enough to make you want more. "Nine Lives" hearkens back to an era when good music defined our culture, but it doesn't sound the least bit dated or forced. In the best sense, this album could have been released in 1972. With nine tracks passing by in approximately fifty minutes, it's even the right length for a classic vinyl album.
From a topical perspective, Winwood is still relying on the imagery that has served him well in the past. There are lots of metaphors here - flying, drowning (or more specifically, not drowning), raging seas and struggling to find higher ground. He's not a lyrical genius, but the songs are so strong that his words take on a sense of import, and most importantly, he sounds like he really is trying to convey something honestly. Apparently, he still feels as though he's struggling to hang on to something (Relevance? Sanity in a world without pity?), yet the music is never less than relaxed and confident. Is "Nine Lives" as good as his previous solo albums? Definitely. It is certainly his best record since "Arc of a Diver," maybe even since "Low Spark of High-Heeled Boys." There is no filler here, just 100% vintage Steve Winwood, and that is better than good enough for me. A Tom Ryan
Superb Album that gets better with every listening May 2, 2008
Sunil Shenoy (Burbank, CA)
6 out of 10 found this review helpful
Well worth the 5-6 year wait and I can't stop playing this album. Its thematically similar to Steve's last album - the excellent About Time - but even more innovative and enjoyable.
When I first heard About Time, it looks 10+ listenings before I could appreciate all the songs. Its the same thing on this one. The music arrangements are complex and rich with standout work by the whole band - Steve, Jose Neto, Karl, Paul and Richard. The lyrics are very interesting with a spiritual feel.
As in any great album, its hard to single out one song or musician as being the key person - Steve's vocals and hammond organ work, Jose Neto's playful guitar grooves, Karl's incredible percussion, Paul's haunting flute and sax work, and Richard's drum work and Peter's lyrics - a real team effort.
As Steve stated in an inteview, the album came out of music that the band played in their Live sessions and it has that loose and innovative feel to it. I went to all their concerts in SF in 05 and LA in 06 and the live set has the best jamming I've heard in years. I hope Steve's successes inspire his contemporaries to experiment with more collaborative, soulful music instead of chasing radio hits or just playing the old hits.
I'm looking forward to Steve's tour with Tom Petty this summer. You know its a great album when I'm looking forward to hearing the new songs live more than the Traffic classics. Keep the new music coming, Steve and the band and thanks for a great album!
They call me mellow yellow July 14, 2008
jingles_sunderland (Morrisville, NC United States)
6 out of 7 found this review helpful
This is another fine piece of work from Steve Winwood, who's unique voice and keyboard playing have blessed the world for over forty years.
After all these years it is difficult for an artist such as he to stir up the emotions of youth but the experience of the years of playing with some of the best in the world shows through.
For me this is a direct descendent from the Traffic years with the jazzy and funky orientated pieces and the homage to Chris Woods with the hauntingly beautiful flute contibutions. I may be reading too much into this by suggesting that this is Winwood's Eulogy to his former bandmates, most of whom are no longer with us.
I particularly enjoyed Hungry Man which could well have been a jam with the Grateful Dead from their second album Anthem of the Sun.
This album grows and grows with repeated playing and at higher volumes and is particularly appropriate in these long hot days of summer here in North carolina. If you liked High heeled Boys or On the Road, then you will like this.
Winwood Reinvents Classic Rock April 29, 2008
Steven J. Williams (California)
5 out of 14 found this review helpful
As well as pays homage to it in a way that only one of the original maestros of Rock could do! A must Buy for Winwood Fans. This work brings Classic Rock into the 21st Century! I see that working with Eric Clapton for the past year has brought Winwood back to his Blind Faith and Classic Traffic Roots i.e. John Barleycorn era. Many of the chords sound familar, I heard chords from past Traffic works like Empty Pages, Paper Sun and Dear Mr. Fantasy in some of the new tracks, as well as similar chords from Yes's Roundabout on the new tune We're All Looking.
The collaboration with Clapton on Dirty City not only revisits the Blind Faith (all too brief) era but expands and enhances each artists growth over the last 40 years!
Hopefully new Rock Artists will listen,learn and move forward into this Expansion of Classic Rock. The door has now been swung open, it is up to the masses to keep it that way. Classic Rock could retake front and center from the long vast wastelands of Pop, amateur contests and Corporate Rock.
Kudos to Winwood for taking the risk and leaving behind his more recent commercial works like Back in The Highlife Again and Arc of The Diver. Steve is one of the leaders today in rock/jazz, rock/folk and rock/blues. Long Live Rock!
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