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Steve Winwood - Arc of a Diver Audio CD

A fair review of the Steve Winwood "Arc of a Diver" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Steve Winwood reviews here, or go back to the Steve Winwood tabs.

Steve Winwood Band: Steve Winwood
Title: Arc of a Diver
Rating:
Release Date: 1990-08-31
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: While You See a Chance 2: Arc of a Diver 3: Second-Hand Woman 4: Slowdown Sundown 5: Spanish Dancer 6: Night Train 7: Dust

Steve Winwood / Arc of a Diver
Perfect background music for cocktails parties. Steve Winwood is brilliant, as always, on this CD. His melodies just make you want to sing along. .


good album, but dated sound
Co-written with hit monster Will Jennings, who had penned hits for soul acts like Cool & The Gang (which is the theme here), not to mention two huge movie theme hits like Up Where We Belong, My Heart Will Go On, and Tears In Heaven (w/ Eric Clapton). There is not a whole lot a remastering job can do with an album that was basically homebrewed by Winwood, where he not only played all of the instruments, but produced and mixed as well. So you'd expect these songs would be strong, and lyrically they are, albeit very plaintiff. But musically, they are rather mellow and downright James Taylor-like considering Winwood's rock background.

This was an album looking forward and beyond much of the rock and adult contemporary of the day, and back then, it sounded very modern. It owes very little to progressive rock of Winwood's past, but instead borrows heavily from Gary Wright's pioneering effort from '76, Dream Weaver, an album that no doubt influenced Don Henley on his own synth drenched first two solo efforts (Dream Weaver still sounds better than much of what it influenced).

Perhaps I'd like this better if it were mixed better, which is why it only gets 3 stars. The only thing that could truly improve the sound here would be a remixing and not just remastering, because Winwood's mix is so synth heavy and his instrumental accumen isn't worthy of the material. This album was recorded in a time when synthesizers weren't really developed enough to do what Winwood was asking of them, and perhaps he didn't have the experience with the newer equipment that he did with older technologies like Mellotron and Moog, et al. The resulting sound is a tad shrill, with dominating keys and anemic bass. What a wonder this album coulda been with a top-notch supporting cast of musicians.


First gem from Steve's solo material.
It's still great though!. Great songs, this MFSL gold cd sounds good, hissy probably due to the fact that the whole recording was all played and done by Steve, so it's got a demo feel to it.


Awesome disc - a Winwood Classic!


Although these two tracks are undoubtedly the standouts, "Dust", "Slowdown Sundown" and "Second Hand Woman" are also very strong. Forget about all of the negative comments appearing here, this is one great collection of music! Of course it is keyboard heavy, but that's what Steve Winwood does best!

The title track is just incredible and "While You see a Chance," one of the most positive set of lyrics penned.

If there is a weak track on this disc, it would have to be "Night Train", but even saying that is stretching things. In fact, its' very reminiscent of Warren Zevon's "Nighttime in the Switching Yard" and Bruce Cockburn's same titled track from his "The Charity of Night" release.

All in all, a solid set from Steve Winwood that certainly holds its own alongside "Refugees of the Heart" and "Roll With It". .


Melodious and Mellow Follow-Up
Well, I must really dig wallcoverings on my ears, then, because once this finds its way into my CD player, it's a few days before it comes back out again. A friend once described this as "aural wallpaper", and he thought he was being kind.

The follow-up to his eponymous first solo album is inspired by the work of three acclaimed lyricists: Will Jennings, George Fleming and Viv Stanshall. Getting back to the strictly one-man band vibe that is all at once looser and funkier than the preceding album, he constructs some great melodies around the ethereal (but at least understandable) lyrics. No, it's not a perfect effort, though it did yield his first megahit after his Spencer Davis Group-glory days, with "While You See A Chance. " He would go on to produce more pop-chart friendly work with the multi-platinum "Back In The High Life. " At the very least, ARC recalls the work of Gary Wright and Todd Rundgren, with a lot less emphasis on bombast or electronically-infused melodrama.


You can see a complete list of all Steve Winwood discography, or go back to the Steve Winwood tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.

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