Miller High Life Again Steve Winwood

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Big fan of 'Back in the Loftier Life'. 'Roll with It' was great as well. I did pick up the box prepare, but lost track of SW later this...
My first purchase was "Chronicles" after hearing "Valerie" on the radio. Several years later I tracked down the MFSL's "Talking Back to the Night" and "Back in the Loftier Life".
I actually prefer the remix version of "Valerie" over the original. It's a conditioning after listening m+ times to a certain style rather than a testament to quality. The original is "cleaner" and I can wholeheartedly understand the appeal.

Another rail I've spun more any other is "The Finer Things". I still use information technology when demoing audio equipment. It's a bit "poppish", but the number of elements nowadays throughout the recording brand it an splendid reference.
ARK Senior Member

Get back on track by purchasing 2003'due south Most Fourth dimension. First-class album.
ARK Senior Fellow member

Possibly the greatest single artist box fix ever assembled, mostly because it's inappreciably a single artist thing. It's hard to compile all of his diverse works with and so many bands into one compiled set, but they pulled it off.
All discs have their highlights, but I've been partial to Disc 3 of late. It covers that odd period in his career where he was still recording, but wasn't hugely in the public eye (kind of like the final xx years actually). I discovered a lot of slap-up stuff through this box set including latter day Traffic (which usually gets ignored completely even on single-disc Traffic compilations) and the first solo album. The in between stuff, where he was more often than not a sideman is interesting also.

Terrific set.
I haven't heard this box set in many years, but I'll just add together that even this box set sells the Spencer Davis Group era short.
1 interesting fact I learned from this box set is Gimme some lovin and I'grand a man each had jimmy miller producing and most of the members of traffic on those songs.
No wonder Winwood broke from his one-time band and formed Traffic.
The debut solo anthology, Steve Winwood, was a great album. Very underrated. Although I was surprised to run into it sold as well as it did. For me, it's one of his top three solo albums.
I all the same got to become a copy of The Finer Things one day. Even though I already own nearly all of the cloth, it's a skillful career overview and if information technology'due south nicely packaged it may be well worth picking up.
gsmile Forum Resident Thread Starter

Wow, I've been actually slack with keeping this thread up. Let'south motion on to "Junction Seven" once the Christmas hubbub dies down. Resume on boxing solar day?
ARK Senior Member

Sounds good merely don't expect likewise much response. That one's probably the biggest potent in his entire catalog (non-solo material included). Simply I'll save my comments until we're set to motility on.
gsmile Forum Resident Thread Starter

(from Wikipedia)

Junction Seven is Steve Winwood's seventh original solo anthology, released in June 1997. This anthology did not sell very well and Winwood took a vi-year break from making solo albums (returning in 2003 with his anthology Near Time). This album was produced by Narada Michael Walden.

The consensus among Winwood fans was that Walden's contributions overshadowed those of Winwood, and the issue did non much resemble a Winwood solo album.
[edit] Track list

one. "Spy in the House of Love" (Winwood, Narada Michael Walden, Eastward. Winwood, Jim Capaldi)
2. "Affections of Mercy" (Winwood, Walden, E. Winwood, Capaldi)
3. "Just Wanna Have Some Fun" (Winwood, Walden)
4. "Allow Your Love Come Downwardly" (Winwood, Walden, East. Winwood, Capaldi)
5. "Real Dear" (Winwood, Walden, E. Winwood)
6. "Fill up Me Up" (Winwood, Eastward. Winwood)
seven. "Gotta Become Dorsum to My Baby" (Winwood, E. Winwood)
viii. "Someone Like You" (Winwood, Walden, E. Winwood)
9. "Family Affair" (Sylvester Stewart)
10. "Plenty Lovin'" (Winwood, Walden)
11. "Lord of the Street" (Winwood, Walden, E. Winwood, Capaldi)

-------------------------------------

Oh dear, where to brainstorm with this one. I wasn't a fan at the time of this release, and so I know nothing about the circumstances surrounding the genesis of this album. Perhaps with Traffic once once more on the rocks and the box set doing a fine job of summarizing Winwood's career and then far, Steve decided to challenge himself and pull a 180 past doing an all out R&B anthology. Perhaps his characterization was pressuring him for something more than commercial. Either way, the album was and is a resounding failure. The super slick production does the already threadbare songs no favors and the ultra-cheesy MOR ballads (previously a really strong accommodate for Steve) really sink the album. The all-time vocal here is the Sly and the Family Rock embrace "Family Thing", just even that doesn't accept a notch on the original. Pb off track "Spy in the House of Love" is a jittery remake of "Night Train" that succeeds purely on sound. Other than that, highlights are few. As mentioned above, co-writer/producer/vocalist Narada Michael Walden dominated the proceedings to the point where Steve himself seems like a guest star or even worse, an afterthought. The anthology tanked, then it'due south no surprise that after an extended intermission Winwood returned to the organic jam sound of Traffic and his early solo albums with his next release.

And then there you take information technology...Steve Winwood'south well-nigh reviled solo album. I notice it incredible difficult to mind to, merely I'd honey to hear if anyone has any positive reviews. Any hidden gems that I've overlooked in the tracklisting? Did any of the songs get superior alive versions? Allow'due south shine a trivial light on Junction Vii.
Junction Seven isn't great by any ways and many of the songs aren't very memorable but I always felt that "Real Honey" and "Angel Of Mercy" were very good songs that usually make any Steve Winwood compliation mix that I put together.
ARK Senior Member

This one's pretty wretched. The only time I listen to it is if I desire a expert express mirth, just I can only stand a runway or two. I suppose it's no worse than most '80'due south R&B (aye, I said '80'southward fifty-fifty though this came out in 1996). Information technology feels like he did this ane becuase somebody at the record company said, "hey, he'southward got a soulful voice; let's mold him into the next...(instert whoever here)." It is interesting that he's co-writer on near tracks hither, and so possibly it WAS his idea to go in this management. Whosever it was, it did non piece of work.
Thankfully About Time was worth the LONG expect.
gsmile Forum Resident Thread Starter

bump.
(or is Junction Seven that bad that no one wants to talk about information technology? Ha.)
gsmile Forum Resident Thread Starter

I guess if you tin can't say annihilation expert...
Spinning "About Time" right now, then tomorrow forenoon let's move on shall we?
I have it on a minidisc somewhere, but I haven't heard it in years. I remember "Spy In The House Of Love" was the merely song I really liked.
"Spy" was a decent song simply every bit mentioned a rewrite. I suspect that the label told him what direction to take it in, he wanted a hit album then left himself in the hands of Walden--that was a big error.
gsmile Forum Resident Thread Starter

Almost Time (2003)

Virtually Time is a Steve Winwood album released in 2003. It was his commencement album since 1997 and was compared to his earlier piece of work with Traffic.

Track listing

1. "Different Lite"
2. "Cigano (For the Gypsies)"
3. "Take It to the Final Hour"
4. "Why Tin't We Live Together"
5. "Domingo Morn"
vi. "Now That You're Live"
7. "Bully"
8. "Phoenix Ascent"
9. "Horizon"
10. "Walking On"
11. "Silvia (Who Is She?)"

Personnel

* Steve Winwood: Vocals and Hammond Organ
* Jose Piresde Almeida Neto: Guitar
* Walfredo Reyes Jr.: Drums
* Karl Vanden Bossche: Congas
* Richard Bailey: Timbales
* Karl Denson: Sax and Flute

----------------------------------------

Ahhhh, that's more similar it. It was a loooong expect, but it was worth it. With About Time, Steve strips abroad the synthesizers and goes back to a wonderfully organic audio that recalls his Traffic days, more so than the Traffic reunion album of the 90s! The vibe of the LP is latin tinged, lots of congas and percolating rhythms. This is accentuated past the lovely cover art, easily the best since Talking Back to the Night. The sound of the disc was is warm and every instrument breathes wonderfully; I hear something new every time I spin it. Steve mans the Hammond Organ for the entire elapsing of the LP and information technology'due south a wonderful affair to behold...this is where he belongs; no one commands the Hammond like Mr. Winwood. Even better than the sound of the disc are the songs: Steve has come up with a winning batch of tunes that are meditative and philosophical, just the kind of stuff we want to hear from him. Different Calorie-free is a strong opener with an fantabulous lyric and a wonderfully uncomplicated guitar line during the chorus. I love the turnaround from the intro to the poetry in the second rails Cigano (For the Gypsies). Tertiary track Accept It To the Final Hour is in the tradition of Steve'due south wearisome burn down ballads and is a highlight too. If I have whatsoever complaint with this album information technology'due south that it'southward slightly top loaded, with the second side being slightly less memorable than the first. The exception being the chilling vibe of Silvia (Who Is She?), with a nifty extended jam to accept the album out. However, even when the songs aren't archetype, the sound is and every bit a issue About Time is a creative success. Welcome dorsum Steve.
Many people similar this one, but I thought it was just OK.
Nice to come across he got abroad from his AOR role.
I thought this was refreshing...it's clear that SW felt that the direction he was moving in wasn't for the best.
I had problems playing the Dualdisc on a couple of CD players and my computer at the time though.
Dearest this CD...really, thanks for the reminder-- I gotta mind to it again soon!!
The "About Time" CD through me for a loop the first fourth dimension I heard it. I was not prepared for how rough Steve's vocals sounded compared to his earlier piece of work. I retrieve the whole project has more a stripped down "live" experience to it.
Pat
ARK Senior Fellow member

Fantastic improvement. Easily his all-time solo album since at least Arc Of A Diver if non always. And information technology gets stronger equally it goes along which is rare. The highlight for me is the very concluding track "Silvia (Who Is She?) which is a x+ minute track to close the album. Typical of Winwood, not much in lyrics, but the music is breathtaking, peculiarly the guitarwork by Jose Neto who is all over the album.
Fifty-fifty ameliorate is the 2-disc edition (Dual disc in the Us). Includes three tracks, but nigh 30 minutes extra of music. Rail one is the best live version of "Dear Mr. Fantasy" I've heard. Rail ii is a live re-do of one of the the tracks on the main album, "Why Tin't We Alive Together", a encompass of the '70'southward vocal. The final track is a 15+ minute comprehend of Jimi's Voodo Chile (remember, Steve played on the original). Once more, a great solo by Neto. This is the version to become.
Slap-up thread. A big to all involved!
Here's my Traffic/Winwood CD drove including the Traffic USA Island remasters, Traffic/Winwood MFSL, and a few others. The Finer Things fills a lot of gaps.
Attached Files:
I have the DualDisc only the hi-res portion never played correct in my Pioneer 45a. I call up all information technology played was the last 3 live songs.
Pat
Only picked upward a mint USA CD of the debut solo album today for £3.00. Gobsmacked.Cracking album.